Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blusher in 'Pinched'

Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blusher
'Pinched'
£7.99

I'm a sucker for blushers...
Alongside eyeshadows they make up the majority of my collection
I feel so much more put together with a flush of colour on my cheeks
It has taken me a while o figure out when too much is just that, too much, and that a little can go a long way when it comes to your cheeks
The clown look is really not something I thrive for!
That's why I like how sheer cream blushers are and how easily and seamlessly they blend into the skin
Also really good when your doing your makeup on the go as you can just pop it on with your fingers, simples

Revlon are one of my favourite high street makeup brands, runner up is Maxfactor.
I love everything I try from them and always head to their stand first when I visit my local Boots, especially good when there's some kind of offer on 
As you can see from the second picture I've been using this for a while and am really enjoying it
I use my Real Techniques Stippling brush to apply and find it works best for cream blushers
It's very hard to apply too much of this as it's just so easy to blend whilst still workable on the skin 
Once it settles into the skin it dries to a silky powder finish which is really flattering on the skin as is the colour a gorgeous, subtle coral
Not as in your face as some other coral in my collection but perfect for an everyday makeup look where you don't want to look too overdone
This has been perfect from work worn with a simple eye look and a light foundation
Seeing as I like the formulation of Revlon's cream blushers so much I'm contemplating trying a few more, or trying a few other brands out.
Apparently MUA have a really good cream blusher for a bargain which may have to be purchased!

Love
Belle
xoxo

Halloween Day of the Dead Skull Makeup



It's taken me a while to get this post up but I still thought it would be worth posting
Last weekend a friends of mine had a halloween party and I knew straight away what I wanted to go as
Considering there have been so many sugar skull/day of the dead make up tutorials floating around youtube and various blogs I thought I would give it a go
Until I actually sat down with the white face paint and black eyeliner I didn't really think how big a job it would be
The final look ended up taking me around an hour to complete
This is mainly due to the white not completely opaquing my skin to the level I wanted, in the end I just went with it
I used Snazaroo white face paint which seems to work better when wet, something I found out after struggling for a while!
For the black I just used Maybelline black gel eyeliner and set it with a matte black eyeshadow and the red dots were Revlon's Cherries in the Snow lipstick
I had so much fun doing this and got loads of compliments
Considering it's the first time I've ever tried something like this on myself I think it would Ok
I'll definitely consider doing some other kind of fancy dress make up next year
Maybe a witch...who knows

Did you dress up for Halloween?
Link me any posts on your costumes!

Love
Belle
xoxo

Soap and Glory Lid Stuff Eyeshadow Palette

Soap and Glory

Lid Stuff Eyeshadow Palette

What's Nude

£10.00 Boots

Another neutral eyeshadow palette...what a surprise!

I am so terrible when it comes to neutral eyeshadows

No matter how many palettes I already own whenever I see a neutral one I just have to have it

One day I'll stop...or not

Maybe I should start selling them on lol!

Soap and Glory have always been on my beauty radar, mainly due to their cute packaging but also becuase of the hype other beauty bloggers give them

I very fairly dabble in their make up however but after seeing Louise at Sprinkle of Glitter rave about this palette quite a while ago now I knew I had to pick it up

So when Boots had a 3 for 2 on S&G makeup I thought why the heck not!

The colours included are the perfect four neutrals and work really well together for a subtle daytime work eye look

Or even for school when you can't wear strong eye makeup

Three of the shades are matte with one shimmer and all have a fairly decent pigmentation

I like to use the three matte shades together for a work friendly look but then add some of the shimmer to take it through to evening

The second shade from the left on the swatches is the perfect shade on my skintone to completely balance out any redness on my lids 

If you're looking for a fairly cheap little eyeshadow palette with work/school appropriate shades then I definitely recommend picking this little baby up 

Love

Belle

xoxo 



Balm Jovi Palette

Balm Jovi Makeup Palette

The Balm

£34 (or $40...stupid mark ups!)

Anyone who knows me in real life knows I have a massive soft spot for Bon Jovi

Forever being my favourite band (alongside Avenged Sevenfold FYI)

When I saw this palette pop on my instagram feed a little while ago I knew it had to be mine

Bon Jovi/Rock music references combined with makeup is my idea of heaven!

I'd never tried anything from the brand 'The Balm' having only admired from afar

So I figured this pretty little palette was as good an introduction to the brand as any

When we were in New York I had been tempted by other bits and pieces from them but I'd run out of money and my Mum doesn't quite understand the amount of money I'm willing to splash on makeup

I love the packaging of this palette

It's very slim and sleek but still has a fun design

I love how the front looks like a poster to a festival with the guitar and name 

Unlike a lot of palettes around this one doesn't just have a range of eyeshadows but also a highlighter, a blusher and two lipsticks

I'm not a huge fan of having cream products, like the lipsticks, in the same packaging as powder products especially with no form of barrier to stop fallout from the powders ending up in the creams

But being that I'm not a massive lipstick wearer this didn't put me off

Also the fact you cant take the lipstick out with you to top during the day unless you lug the whole palette around with you or depot the lip colours

Other than that this little beauty is amazing

All the colours are so pigmented and there are such a range of different shades

You can do pretty much any eye look you fancy

I like the fact all the colours lean towards the neutral spectrum but you can easily smoke them out

The shade names are really clever and cute too...Blink 1982, The Stroke, Iron Maid-in, Alice Copper

Just a really thought out palette which definitely stood out to me!

The staying power is fantastic too and I really recommend this palette.

Have you tried any The Balm products?

I'm going to have to pick up some more goodies!

Love

Belle

xoxo

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain 'Honey'

Revlon

Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

Honey

£7.99

I think it's fair to say I'm obsessed with these kind of lip colours

I've got the majority of the colours from Revlon available and am eying up various brands offerings

The way these products work is so convenient

You don't need to sharpen them as they just twist up and are super easy to apply in a rush (well the more neutral colours anyway!)

 The Revlon balms aren't as pigmented as the newer Clinique Chubby Sticks as they have been reformulated to be more so. However I quite like the way these provide a glossy wash of colour, nothing too bright.

The Red colour is probably the darkest but is subtle enough to be wearable in the day time,  great for a bright colour phobe like me! 

The swatch above is of the colour Honey

A gorgeous nude toned pink,  perfect for day wear

It's the best my lips but better shade for me and I can apply without a mirror at anytime

Great for work

I find the formulation softening and smoothing on the lips, moisturising too which doesn't normally come from a coloured lip product

Love

Belle

xoxo

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in 2C3 'Fresco'

£27.50 

A little while back my friend and I went on a road trip to Bicester Village outlet shopping

Whilst browsing the Cosmetics Company Outlet (beauty bloggers heaven!) I saw a display of the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

I knew that there were a few shades being continued and assumed that the shades available were those being phased out but on looking at the Boots website the shade I matched is still available

In the outlet it was only £19.00 a bottle and seeing as I'd been wanting to try it out for so long of course I bought one

I love full coverage foundations as my skin isn't the greatest and I also have quite an uneven skintone, having heard that this particular foundation has exceedingly high coverage I knew it was one to try

Once I got home I couldn't wait to try it out

The shade I picked up was the perfect match to my skin colouring, infact I now wish I'd picked up another bottle at only £19!

The coverage is just what I like in a foundation but it doesn't feel too heavy on the skin as a thin layer gives the opacity I liked

Al though it is easy to go too heavy handed and end up with a thick layer on the skin, especially if your not used to a foundation with such high coverage.

It also lasts fantistically well with very little transfer

I use Clarins Beauty Flash Balm underneath this and it lasts throughout the work day and can carry me into any evening activity, albeit with a touch up of powder to eliminate any shine from the work day

Overall I would definitely say I am converted to this foundation

It is worth the hype, and completely deserves all the positive press!

Al though now I think the corresponding concealer may have to be purchased too

Have you tried the infamous Double Wear?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Fashionista Custom Blusher Palette

Custom Blusher Palette
£5.00 for Palette
£4.00 (or 4 for £10.00) for blusher pans
Fashionista at Superdrug 
Colours in palette: (clockwise from top left) Amber Glow, Milan, New York, London

I'd been contemplating getting a Fashionista blusher palette for a while now but for some reason never got round to it...but I bit the bullet and am so glad I did!
Such a bargain for £15.00 you get a compact palette and four different blushers of your choice.
What I love the most about this idea is you can take something only marginally larger than a bulky blusher with you on holiday and you've got four completely different blushers with you to enable you to achieve any look you fancy..brilliant!
It's the same idea as the MAC blusher palettes but immensely cheaper.
The choice of blushers for the palette is fairly extensive with thirteen different colours to choose from with a variety of finishes and also bronzers 
I chose three of the merged, baked blushers in Milan, New York and Milan
And also a mono blusher (which I assume just means a normal blusher) in Amber Glow
All the colours are really pigmented as you can see in the swatches
Out of the four colours I chose I don't think there are any duds, which is pretty good going considering I ordered them blind online!
My favourite has to be Milan, the only non coral toned blusher out of the bunch
It's a gorgeous, warm pink with shimmer running through it
The shimmer doesn't translate too obviously to the cheek which is fab as too much can look like a glitter overload which isn't good when your 22 and work in an office, not 7 at a school disco
The other three colours are all stunning as well and are all different, even if they are all from the same coral coloured family
I will definitely get so much use from this little palette 
it's so easy to just have everything in one place

Very tempting to get another and fill it with another four beauties

Love
Belle
xoxo

Barry M Textured Nail Paints

Ridley Road, Atlantic road

Barry M Textured Nail Paints

£3.99

Boots/Superdrug

The above swatches show three coats as it was still quite sheer after two coats on the fake nails but on real nails I'd reckon it only needs two coats

You need to let it dry in between coats as I think the textured effect is lost otherwise

This year has seen the release of various different nail art and effects from leather effects, feather effects and these concrete textured finishes.

This finish seems to be for one/two day wear as they can get grubby quite quickly as the dirt settles in the dips and grooves

As you can see on the nail tips they need filing down once dry as it's left with quite a rough edge 

At the moment the colour range is limited to four pastel colours, my favourite is the mint green (I have an obsession with this colour at the moment) 

I think this effect would work well with some darker tones too

Have you tried any of the new nail polish finishes on the market at the moment?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Liz Earle Make Up 'Haul'

Liz Earle 

Sheer Skin Tint ~ £21.00

Light Reflecting Concealer ~ £15.50

Healthy Glow Cream Blusher ~ £16.50

Stupidly I signed up to the Liz Earle email... I feel taunted by beautiful make up and skin care on a regular basis

But when the email about the March Make Up Must Haves for £36.00 well I had a weak moment

All of the products above for £36...bargain really

Did I need them? Probably not but hey I'm a beauty blogger buying unnecessary make up is what we do best! My colleagues certainly don't understand my happiness over make up when a little parcel appears on my desk.

After trying out some Liz Earle skincare I'd been desperate to try some of their new make up range 

The Light Reflecting Concealer is perfect for under the eyes

It blends so well and doesn't crease once set with a bit of powder

It reminds me a bit of the YSL Touche Eclat, which I never really got on with

I didn't really get the hype around it and thought it didn't do much for me

But the Liz Earle concealer is everything I'd hoped the YSL would be

I've been using full coverage foundation for months now due to terrible skin

I feel like I'm in a downward spiral, my skin needs to breathe to heal itself but I feel so horrid with my skin not covered

I thought I'd try out a foundation with lighter coverage and this came just in time

I've been loving it, combined with the concealer this gives me just enough coverage to feel comfortable that the majority of my terrible skin is covered

A cream blusher...surprise surprise

But it came with the deal so it's allowed

It's a lovely natural colour and blends beautifully

After my first dabble in Liz Earle make up I think it's safe to say I'll be going back for more!

Poor bank balance...

Have you tried any of the Liz Earle make up range?

Love

Belle

xoxo

MAC Lipstick in Costa Chic

MAC Lipstick

Costa Chic

£14.00

I recently visited Bicester Outlet village in Oxfordshire with the bestie and they had a Cosmetics Company Outlet store...heaven!

I behaved myself though, I was initially walking around with six things in my hands but only left with two.

The collection of MAC products was quite impressive and I saw quite a few permanent products reduced, including this lipstick and an eyeshadow in Club which I was really tempted by as it's such an unusual colour.

There was also loads of Origins and Bobbi Brown products, I could have spent soooo much!

So I did pick up the above lipstick for only £9.00

Costa Chic has been on my MAC wish list for over a year now so when I saw it in the outlet for only £9.00 I knew I had to get it

I forgot to take a photo of the lipstick bullet but it's very true to how the colour swatches on both the hand and lips

It's such a summery shade but that hasn't been stopping me wearing it in the gloomy March days we're having

It's a frost finish, light coral colour and I find it really wearable for quite a bright colour

In the full face swatch I think it suits my colouring well which doesn't happen a lot with bright colours with me

The staying time is pretty decent too as is with most MAC lipsticks

It also has the trademark vanilla scent 

I haven't bought a MAC lipstick in so long, probably 18 months... I just can't justify £14.oo on a lipstick knowing that high street lipsticks are pretty much the same quality

But it's nice to treat myself to a nice high end lipstick once in a while

Any recommendations for other MAC lipsticks?

Love

Belle

xoxo

Benefit Lip Glosses Part 2

So this is part two of the previous Benefit Lip Gloss post

Showcasing the other three lip glosses in the new line

As before these three have been released to compliment the corresponding box of powders to their namesakes



Hoola~Shimmering Gold Nude
This is the perfect nude gloss
It has slight shimmer running through it which is really flattering on the lips
I've been enjoying wearing this for a toned down but polished look

Sugarbomb~Shimmering Pinky Nude
This has pride of place on my desk at work and for good reason!
It's a gorgeous pinky nude which seems to flatter most skin colours
I love this as a natural but pretty pink and it works really well for a work makeup look

Bella Bamba~Sheer Bright watermelon
Similar to the Coralista shade Bella Bamba has a jelly like feel to it
A bit more pink toned than Coralista though
A flatering watermelon pink which will be brilliant when the sun decides to come out for Spring! Here's hoping...

Have you tried any of the Benefit glosses?

Love
Belle
xoxo

Rimmel Apocalips 'Luna' and 'Apocalipta'

Luna 

Apocalipta (Excuse the awkward face!)

Apocalips Lip Lacquer

Rimmel

£5.99  

I'm sure you've all seen the new Apocalips all over the blogging world
I gave in to the hype and have to say I really like them
I bought the bright pink Apocalipta first and found it really flattering on my skin tone
Very bright and in your face so I keep it for nights out, not quite embracing the bright lips for daytime yet
My only problem with Apocalipta is the way it fades, it leaves a very prominent line around the lips and doesn't look very flattering. Al though it lasts a good two hours before this happens
You also need to apply in a mirror to avoid looking like a clown!
However Luna is on the complete opposite end of the colour scale
An orange toned nude which gives just enough colour to the lips to stand out but not as in your face as Apocalipta so a good wearable everyday shade
As you can see from the above pictures it gives a polished look and makes my face look more pulled together
I like the formulation of the products, like a liquid lipstick similar to the Collection 2000 Lip Cremes but glossy
The packaging is also lovely, for a drug store make up brand I think it looks quite high end and I like the angled black lid.

Overall I really like the Apocalips and will definitely be looking at picking up a few other colours

Any recommendations?

Love
Belle
xoxo

Benefit World Famous Neutrals 'Most Glamorous Nudes Ever'

Benefit

Most Glamorous Nudes Ever

Neutral Eyeshadow Kit

£23.50

At the weekend I had a makeover at my local Benefit counter and the MUA used one of the new neutral eyeshadow palettes on me

I was drawn to the Worlds Most Glamorous palette as the coral toned 'It's Complicated' is identical to one of my favourite Urban Decay shadows from the Alice in Wonderland palette and I've nearly run out so need a dupe

I had promised myself I wouldn't purchase anything as I always end up walking away with some sort of goodies but I had £40 of Advantage card points which I was saving up for a perfume I didn't really need so I figured I'd buy another eyeshadow palette I don't really need... makes sense yes?

I love a neutral eyeshadow, as do the majority of beauty bloggers!

And after seeing the three of these palettes doing the rounds on many blogs I knew I had to try them out

In the kit you get two of the creaseless cream shadows in My Two Cents and Birthday Suit

I've always liked the Benefit cream shadows and wanted to pick up Birthday Suit for so long so I'm happy that it's included in this kit, it's a lovely taupey brown which would be perfect for an everyday wash of colour

Whereas My Two Cents is a more coppery golden colour which would be more akin to an evening look or for a base for darker colours

The Longwear Powder shadows are really soft and blendable, they aren't hugely pigmented but they can be built up to achieve a strong eye look

Again perfect for everyday eye looks and I know I'll be getting a lot of use out of these shades for work everyday

Call My Buff is a pale shell colour which is perfect for a highlight or base shade

Kiss Me I'm Tipsy is a gorgeous, rich brown which is lovely in the crease and can be built up for a dramatic smokey eye

It's Complicated is my favourite colour in the kit, a golden peach which catches the light beautifully. I'm so happy this is being released as a single shadow as I know I'll finish it off in the palette!

And Gilt-y Pleasure is a nice golden shade which compliments all the other colours and would work really well with just the cream colour My Two Cents in a simple golden eye look

Have you tried any of the new Benefit Eyeshadow boxes?

Love

Belle

xoxo

MUA Undress Me Too Palette



MUA Eyeshadow Palette
£4.00
Superdrug

As you've probably guessed from previous posts I'm a neutral eyeshadow fiend!
I wear eyeshadow everyday and like to have options, either that or I'm a shopaholic
The MUA Undress Me Too palette is their answer to the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette only much more affordable
I have the Urban Decay palette and can say that all the shades in the MUA one are exact dupes for each UD shadow
For a £4 palette the quality of the shadows are amazing
Soft, buttery and blendable
Minimal fall out but there is some, like the UD shadows
The matte shades are the weakest in the palette but I think that's a formulation issue as MUA seem to have shimmer shadows down to an art, they just need to work on the matte ones a little more
I find these palettes perfect to chuck in my traveling make up bag as I don't feel too worried if they get broken as it's so cheap to replace whereas with the UD palettes I'd be pretty annoyed at having to shell out another £30+
The stand out shades for me are Wink, Tranquil and Exposed...there's something about them I really like and find them flattering on my skin tone
I would definitely recommend picking this up if you see it in your local superdrug

Love
Belle
xoxo