MUA Eye Dusts

As Christmas is coming, I decided we all needed a bit of glitter in our lives.  I am not a massive lover of glitter but every now and again I like to surprise myself and whack out these bad boys.  Firstly, I would like to apologise, my photography skills and Eye Dusts do not combine well, so neither of these pictures do the product any justice. There is actually 1.5g of product in each pot, which in glitter terms means you will never run out. Each are £1 and there are 5 shades available on the MUA website in stores I think there may be more.

These are perfect for a night out, you can create a beautiful smokey eye, but remember there will be a lot of fullout, so prepare for the worst and do your eye makeup before your base. These are versatile enough for one shade swept across the lid to be your look, apply an eye primer before, this will make the colour more vibrate as well as longer lasting. 

Left: Shade 5, Right: Shade 6

I wish the swatches came out better but you can see the shade but unfortunately not the lovely shimmer that runs through it.  They are really pigmented and blend really nicely. I want to get the gold one as I think it would look lovely for Christmas and want to try one of the lighter shades. Also MUA have 3 for 2 on their website at the moment.

Natural Collection Blush

I am becoming a big fan of blusher, and I'm always on the look out for new ones to try. As you can see I have hit pan on the old Youtube favourite Pink Cloud but I recently picked up Peach Melba. In the pan Peach Melba looks more like a bronzer to me so I did have my doubts about whether I would like the shade.

The first thing that I always notice about these Blushed Cheeks blushers is how chalky they are. They blend out to be sheer but you can build it up to have a flushed sweep across the cheek. If you take the time to build the colour I really like both of these shades and are both very wearable on most skin tones. I believe there are two other shades, a shimmery pink and a mauve-ish pink. I think these are great if you are just getting into makeup, and maybe see if a peach tone blush would suit you. I use these if I know I am popping out for a few hours, as they definitely do not last all day, unless you're using a face primer and/or setting spray.

I don't mind the packaging, I can clearly see what the shade is when I'm in a rush. The cheap plastic can be a nuisance when screwing the lid back on, but for £1.99 I still don't even mind that. However, the pan now falls out which means I have to be careful when I use it and its annoying when I forget. There is always a deal on in Boots 3 for £5 on selected Natural Collection products. Despite the packaging malfunction I really like the shades and I probably would repurchase these, they are staple daytime shades that I think everyone should have.

Let me know how you have got on with these blushers.

Every Day is Pamper Day

When I decide to do this series I wanted to find products that I normally walk straight past. And I think I have done that, mainly with these little beauties. I haven't used face masks in years, probably the last time was then I was 14 and having a girly sleepover. I guess I just forgot about them and I think I get wrapped up in moisturisers rather than deep cleansing treatments.

This is the first time I've tried out Superdrug's own face masks and there are so many flavours to choose from to suit your skin needs including clay masks. I used one every week/10 days and I'm gutted I've used my last one. They all leave the skin feeling so soft and relaxed. I love the whole experience of putting them on, as they start dry you end up not being able to move parts of your face so by the time it is fully dry you look like you've had too much botox. I always want to laugh hysterically when I have one on but it hurts too much!

They all contain various fruit and natural extract, I'm not a skin expert so unfortunately I don't want to say that one is better for your skin than another but the ingredients does vary a little in each different variety. The thing that I was most impressed about was how much you get, I didn't completely finish any of mine and always had a thick layer. I always use how much I need even if that means I don't use it all because I like the masks to dry completely before removing. I keep mine on for about 20 minutes and I find that has worked with all of them.

My favourite are the peel-off versions and especially the Tropical Cocktail, it smells amazing. As I have been using these on a regular basis I do want to give my skin a break from it all as I don't want my skin to get used to having the treatment. So I am probably going to next use one as we go into Spring to get rid of any nasty Winter skin. I have noticed that my makeup applies a lot better than it used to and creams just sink into my skin so much better than before. 

I really liked using these face masks and for 99p each they are an absolute bargain. I cannot wait to buy some more and try different all the scents. I don't think face masks need to be used every week, if I do get into a routine, I would say once a month maybe every 3 weeks. On the packet it says to use regularly, but how often is that? I like to do things as my skin needs it as I think it benefits more that way. 

If you have used any of these before, please comment and share your recommendations.

Vitamin E Night Cream

As we are well into winter now I also like to use a night cream, as these windy days tend to dry my skin out and make me flaky (the attractive days of my life). I have been trying this nourishing night cream from Superdrug's Vitamin E that't meant to keep skin hydrated for 12 hours. My very first thought when I bought this product was actually, I really like the packaging. I'm normally the first one to say that if I'm  buying anything from the highstreet the packaging doesn't really bother me because I want to pay for the product inside as opposed to fancy gold writing on the bottle. However, I don't think this looks like an own brand product as it's not as stripped back, plan and boring as other ranges. 

The cream itself is your standard white but surprisingly it has a faint nutty, coconut smell which I didn't expect and find quite refreshing before bed. On further inspection of the ingredients I found that this contains aesculus hippocastanum, which is a form of horse chestnut extract, which contains anti-inflammatory, skin purifying and skin softening properties. Also the smell it not at all overwhelming and once applied to the skin the smell fades so don't be put off by that. 

I have been trying this for while and I can say that my skin hasn't felt dry like it normally does at this time of year, but I don't think it lasts the full 12 hours that it claims. However, I am very pleased that I picked this up and am enjoying using it. The main downside that I found is, personally I find the texture to be very thin for a night cream. This is just a personal thing, my negative point might be someone else's positive. I generally like night creams to be thick so I can feel them sinking into my skin and feel them working, so almost more like a mask. As this is light it doesn't leave the skin greasy and as you rub it in, it sinks into the skin immediately. 

This is available at Superdrug for £2.99, 100ml tube, which is a perfect because I use this probably about 5 times a week and you don't need much so hopefully this will last me through the harshest of the winter months. The Vitmain E range have so many more products so I am definitely going down there and picking more up.

Collection 2000 Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner

Firstly, Collection 2000 has been re-branded to 'Collection'. Which, personally, is brilliant because it makes it so much easier for me to talk about products that now look completely different to you on the shelves. Ok my childish sense of humour aside, to my knowledge, Collection have only re-branded the packaging, the actual formulation of the products are still the same as always, which is why I am happy to still talk about them. Please feel free to correct me if you know that certain products have been altered. 

This was the first ever liquid eyeliner that I bought and throughout my teenage years I probably repurchased this about 2 or 3 times. Nowadays, I don't use eyeliner as much so one bottle of this would probably last me a lifetime. Though the best feature of this product is the handle of the applicator. Some people probably think it's awkward and unnecessary, me I love it. I can get good control of what I'm doing and be really accurate, which lets down other eyeliners. I find that this eyeliner stays on all day, but can easily be removed with makeup remover.

 By using various other liquid eyeliner over the years I have learnt that this is not actually a very good eyeliner. *makes me so sad to say that* The applicator brush is far too big, and even though it is accurate, the thick line is too much for my hooded eyes.  Also as you can see in the swatches above, the colour may say 'black' but it dries a more charcoal tone. It can sometimes take two coats to get the desired darkness. (Getting one coat in place can sometimes be tricky). But I do like that a thick and thin line can be made, but it requires a soft hand which, I do not have the patients for anymore. If you do you'll be pleased that this fast stroke eyeliner is also quick drying which is always nice to know.

Available at Superdrug for £2.99 which I think is a really good price for people just starting out and want the precision that this eyeliner offers.

MUA Mosaic Blush

MUA has featured a lot in this month's series of products under £3. Today is no exception, this mosaic blush is one of the most raved about products by MUA in shade 3, English Rose.

 The packaging has that plastic snappiness that I do not like, but it's clear to see what it is without having to open it and I've dropped this and it hasn't broken, so that has to be a plus.
As you can see the pan is created out of various colours, all shimmery which is lovely for summer. Swirled together the colours make a lovely peachy tone, which I use as a blush.  If you wanted a darker reddish tone blush then I would swirl towards the dark red shades to deepen the colour.

All shades mixed together

However, as most people use this blush, you can always use the just the light pink shades, with the shimmer to create a beautiful highlight across the cheek bones or brow bone.

For such a versatile product the price is amazing at only £2.50 online and in Superdrug stores. You also get a lot of product, 8.9g. One word of warning I would give is to use a light hand, if you try and blend this too much the colour gets washed away and you are left with sheer shimmer, a good primer can help you out though. Apart from that, the product goes on well to leave a natural glow to the skin and I really love it.

Brilliant stocking filler!

MUA Single Eyeshadows

My first post this month was on the MUA trio eyeshadows, so you might be wondering why I am now doing the single version.  This is because these are a completely different product, the single eyeshadows are in pressed form, whereas the trios are baked.  Pressed eyeshadows are my personal favourite and are what most of my eyeshadow collection consists of.

Shade 16, was actually within my very first order from MUA over 2 years ago when the company first launched. The idea behind this shade was to use a matte shade that was slightly lighter than my skin tone, for an over base or highlight. I have also used this as a highlight down the bridge of my nose and it looks lovely, even though there is no shimmer. There are only a few shades in the matte range so I hope they bring out some more because I like doing a smokey eye without any shimmer for an everyday look.

Shade 3 is a pearl which is shimmery and is very pigmented, very multi dimensional with the flecks! There is a bigger colour range within the pearl section and I really want shade 25 but cannot find it in any Superdrug stores near me so might have to make an online order soon. 

The packaging is simple, transparent lid so I can see the colour while rummaging though my basket of single eyeshadows and pigments.

The quality is amazing on this product, I always use a primer because they can crease after a few hours but for £1 I am definitely not complaining. I can use cheaper brushes and more expensive brushes which is really handy, because I have some shadows that only work well with certain brushes which can get frustrating. You get 2g of product so I think these are so handy for travelling as they aren't bulky and there are some lovely vibrant shades.

Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil

I think this product appeared in a summer monthly favourites so you may of seen it before.  This is one of the first eyebrow pencils that I have actually kept, normally I get one a use it, it's rubbish and I throw it away. I was so close to forgetting high street and going highend until I stumbled upon this beauty. 

Also I would like to point out the brush that is attached to the lid, very rare that an eyebrow brush comes with the pencil, so for £2.99 I think this is one of the best on the high street.

The shades for me is what lets this product down, with only three shades, I know I don't have a perfect match for my eyebrows. My hair is probably more towards the black side than brown but I decided on the brown version because I knew I could always add to the colour, trying to lighten it might get messy.  I normally use the pencil to define my brows and get the shape I like, then ever so slightly fill them in with powder. I prefer using both pencil and powder together as opposed to just one of the products, using the eyebrow brush to blend any harsh lines and mix the shades together I really like the finished look with my eyebrows at the moment.

Natural Collection Lipstick

So the first lipstick in my under £3 series are these from Natural Collection, this brand can be found in Boots and each lipstick retails for £1.99. This is the moisture range and as the name suggests these are not drying at all.

Rose Petal, Pink Mallow, Cranberry

 What may be the first thing you notice is the white plastic packaging, yes not as nice as other more expensive brands. I really don't care about that with this particular product, I am willing to pay less and not fork out another £5 for some black and gold bullet. 

 Rose Petal (left) can look a bit concealerish as these definitely have a good colour payoff. My favourite from these three shades is Cranberry (right) a nice berry colour for Autumn.

These aren't going to last all day, but it's easy to throw one in your handbag or have one in your desk drawer and use it for touch ups. To turn these from day to night lipsticks, I place a small amount of a sheer light pink gloss in the middle of my bottom lip. this makes the lips look fuller and more glamorous.

Natural Collection normally have an offer of 3 for £5, there are some lovely shades to be found there.

Glossybox October

I know this is embarrassing late but I wanted to try the products out before posting about them. Also time is absolutely flying past at the moment, it only seems like last week I was posting about September's box. This month is all about DIY Beauty. So big foamy bubbles in the bath, face masks and manicures. Spa-like wouldn't you say, erm I think I might be interpreting the theme differently, because I don't actually see any of that.

Anatomicals - Don't Just Clean It Woman, Scrub It Body Scrub 

I hadn't heard of this brand before so I was excited to try this out, I love the packaging and the chatty mannerisms reminds me a little of Soap & Glory.  This brand is no Soap & Glory, I didn't think this 'exfoliator' did anything at all, I could barely feel the scrub against my skin. The smell is nice but I would not recommend this at all.  Also Glossybox, the retail price is £3.49, to me that is not a luxury product, however I actually think this is reasonably priced for a body scrub. It's just a shame it didn't compare to my Body Shop or Soap & Glory exfoliators.

Dermalogica - 3 step day and night kit

I liked the idea of this little kit, even though we did receive one similar a month or two ago in Glossybox. One foaming wash, one purifying toner and a moisturiser normally retailing at £12 per kit, I rushed to try it out. The bottles are larger than your average size and as this is considered an expensive, high end brand, I was impressed with Glossybox's choice. Oh I hate saying this, I'm allergic! My face has swollen slightly and a big rash has emerged on one side of my face. I am so disappointed. I don't know whether to carry on as I know that skin can take weeks to get used to a new skincare routine, but I don't want to end up like elephant man. All the products smell nice and feel soft on the skin. The product that I think lets this set down is the moisturiser, it's too thin and sticky, it almost feels like suncream.

Skinetica - Anti-blemish 

One of the main critisms of Glossybox that people have is that they don't look at the beauty profiles that they make you fill out. This means that you get sent products that are not suited to your skin or preference. I am very lucky and do not have a lot of breakouts (ok at the moment I do because of an allergic reaction) so I really don't have a use for this product and have already given it away. I did try it on my skin to feel the texture. This would dry out your skin very quickly so be careful just to put it on the affected areas and no where else. I will ask the person who I gave it to to give me an update in a few weeks to see how they like it and if it works.

Yves Rocher - Moisturing cream lipstick

 Glossybox does love this brand don't they? I'm not complaining the mascara in June's box was great and now this lipstick I really love. At first I didn't like that they had chosen such a bright shade. But this is the perfect post box red. The swatch makes it look a little on the berry side, but trust me it is the reddest red I will ever come across. The lipstick itself is moisturising which I thought would make the colour bleed off the lips but it didn't. I'm not a massive fan of the actual barrel of the lipstick as it feels quite flimsy and could break. But I love the case, as vibrant as the shade itself so you can easily find it amongst other lipsticks.

Only four products this box, and only one I can use on rare bright lip occasions. I am disappointed that I don't feel any of these actually match the theme. I thought maybe I'd be able to invite the girls round and have a pamper night in with them using products from the box, face masks and nail varnish.

However, I would like to end on a more positive note and point out that on the back of the product card, Glossybox makes reference to the fact that October is breast cancer awareness month. They also state that they are donating money to the charity, they do not specify how much (could be 5p or £5 per subscriber) but I am impressed that they have done this and have tried to raise awareness for such a worthy cause.

MUA Eyeshadow Trio

I'm going to start this series with one of my more recent purchases. This eyeshadow trio to me looks very similar to the Bourjois eyeshadow trio, don't you think?  I am so annoyed that I bought a Bourjois trio just before the MUA ones were launched, as these are so much better.

Firstly, the pigmentation is amazing.  Sometimes I find that very shimmery eyeshadows don't have a very good colour payoff, the shimmer stays but not necessarily the colour underneath which can be a pain. But I did not find that problem with this trio at all. They blend very nicely together and I really the shades that have been put together. There is also a small diagram on the back of how to combine the colours together into a smoky eye look.

The packaging doesn't excite me but it's ok.  What I do find weird though is that the case opens sidewards. So as you see the product in the picture above, the top flaps open to the right not upwards.  Very strange! But I think how is it compact so handy for travelling.

Like so many other people I chose this particular shade range as I wanted to use the light pink as a highlight colour for my brow and inner duct of my eye. I thought that would be the shade that I would use most, but actually I really enjoy using the darker pink shade.  

These are so nice to work with, transfer on to the skin smoothly and feel soft but without feeling or smelling chalky. Even though the shades I have are metallic with shimmer I haven't found that these produce a lot of fallout if any. I have been using a primer with these shadows, as I do with all my eyeshadows, but I did go one day without use any primer and found that these creased after about 4/5 hours so not bad for evening use but I think to wear these all day without a primer may lead to some fading.

The best bit though, has to be the price, these are available from Superdrug for £2.50, I have already got my eye on 2 or 3 other shades that I want to try too.  

Shopping My Stash - September

So last month I decided to kick my shopping habits to the curb, well sort of, and try to rediscover some of my neglected makeup products.  Even though I had to give up eye makeup for a couple of weeks I think this went really well and have fallen in love with my NYX cream blushes. This month I've got a mix of products.

From Left to Right

Artdeco Bronzing Compact Powder

I hit pan on this ages ago as I used to love it, but it sadly got pushed further and further to back of the drawer with each new matte bronzer purchase I made.

Maybelline One by One Mascara

In my mascara collection, here, I mentioned that I wasn't a massive fan of the brush so I tend to pick up other mascaras over this one.  I've included this one as you shouldn't keep mascaras for more than 6 months so I want to use this up rather than wasting it.

MAC Lipsticks

This might come as a surprise to many people, but I choose so many other lipsticks over my MAC ones.  I only have a couple including one from the Wonder Woman Collection, but I think I've used all of them a total of 5 times.  I know they are lovely, I just need to use them more.

Sleek Eyeshadow Palettes

This is my grubby Storm palette that you can see, and it used to be well loved, but since my naked palettes entered my life, I have become a bad person.  I have a couple of Sleek palettes and want the Oh So Special palette as they are beautifully pigmented, nice consistency and very affordable.  If you do not own a Sleek eyeshadow Palette I definitely recommend them. 

You can see what products I included last month here.  I loved this last month so I hope I can keep it up this month as well as using some from last month.

What products do you need to use more?