My First Tag Post!: 11 Questions

I was tagged to do this post by Ruby over on Wake Up, Make Up! And although I've never done a tag post before I thought it couldn't hurt in doing one, could it!!

The rules of this tag are, you have to answer 11 questions, and then tag 11 people to answer your own 11 questions! So here goes;

My Q&A!;

1) What's your favourite thing about blogging?

I love having a creative outlet for my passion, and the fact that some people read what I have to say is a huge added bonus! I suppose I like the thought of helping somebody out with a product review and it keeps my mind active as it keeps me writing and thinking!

2)What is your favourite makeup brand?

This is such a hard question. If I'm on a budget then I would tend to choose 17 and MUA as these are the two cheap brands that have impressed me the most in terms of their colour and product quality. In terms of high end, I'm a firm believer that every brand has it's place in the market and each excels at different things; for foundation and skincare I would pick Estee Lauder, for colour and product range I would probably pick M.A.C yet for brand message and marketing it would be Illamasqua. But I also love the sophistication and femininity of Laura Mercier, and the sleek and modern edge that NARS have! But you could name any brand to me and I'd be able to tell you something that I love about it!

3) What is your dream job?

This changes and has changed quite often throughout my life and I'm still not sure about what my 'dream' job would exactly be. Ideally I'd like to work in the city in a fast paced environment, the problem with my current job is it can be excrutiatingly boring when it is quiet. I know that I'll always want to continue working with makeup and beauty, I'm working on developing and progressing as a makeup artist by going to courses in the hope that I'll be able to set up a freelance business within the year. Ideally that would grow and I'd be successful in what I do, that's the dream.

4) If you could receive one thing as a present right now (any price!), what would you choose?

Maybe a whole new wardrobe, I mean from basics like underwear, to full on outfits and shoes. Failing that, it would be nice to own an apartment in a good city so a few hundred grand wouldn't go amiss please? Or a new laptop...I'd really like to make a couple of YouTube videos! Or a nice holiday pls!

5) What's the cheapest makeup product that you own, and love

Off the top of my head it is probably my £1 MUA eyeshadows, so far I've been nothing but impressed by them and am hoping that they release a wider colour range.

6) Describe yourself in one word.

Nice.

7) If you could be anyone for a day, who would you pick and why?

I can't really think of anyone particularly...I'd love to re-live a day in my life when I was 15-16 they were the best of times and I definitely didn't appreciate it at the time! Or to live as Alex Box for a day would be really interesting!

8) What do you prefer to spend your money on -skincare, makeup or clothes?

Up until recently I'd spend the most on makeup, because it genuinely brings me joy! I love using and trying out new products and it was always a pleasurable experience because I'm within my comfort zone. However recently I've been attempting a wardrobe overhaul because I dislike the majority of my clothes and have been trying to build a new core wardrobe bit by bit. Because I am focussing on that so I suppose most of my spare money goes on clothes at the moment.

9)Tell me something about yourself that people may not already know

 I currently have 6 tattoos, my largest one took 4 1/2 hours to complete and my next one is planned for next month!

10) What's your favourite song at the moment? 

That's so hard. Anything by Nicki Minaj. I love her.

11) What's your favourite book? 

I've never really enjoyed reading books because I hate the feel of that book paper on my thumbs (OCD or something!) and so I find the whole reading experience pretty uncomfortable so I avoid it (maybe would be avoided with one of them kindles) I love my books I've bought from art exhibitions, cookery books and also loved reading Andre Breton's Manifestoes of Surrealism when I was at University, and am currently attempting to re-read it now!

My questions for you;

1) What is your 'go- to' lip colour?

2) Where is your favourite place to be?

3) Which of your nail varnishes do you pick up time and time again?

4) If you had to buy makeup products from only ONE brand for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

5) What magazine do you enjoy reading the most?

6) If you could recommend one hair product to me, what would it be and why?

7) Nights out or nights in?

8) If you could release a limited edition collection with any makeup house (low or high end) which would you pick?

9) What's your most expensive makeup item?

10) What skincare item couldn't you live without?

11) Tell me something unusual about yourself!

I tag; All of my followers!! And let me know if you answer, so that I can read the post. :-)

 

Bold Spring Time Lips...Using new Bourjois Lipgloss!

Hi there lovelies I hope you've all been enjoying this lush weather we've been having if you're a UK person! Just a quick post to show you a lip combination I am loving at the moment and wore out today, which I think is a great statement lip for this exciting spring time of year.

TopShop Lipstick in 'Coy', £5 for 2.3g

Bourjois Effet 3D Lipgloss in '52 Coral Idyllic' £7.59 for 5.7ml

Due to its light, touch of neon shade and soft matte finish 'Coy' can look almost too much on it's own and of course it clings to the lips even if put on top of a nourished surface. It is very, very bright and although the application is smooth because it is a creamy pencil it didn't feel right on my lips without a gloss, which brings us onto....

This is a brand new lipgloss shade from Bourjois and has recently been released as part of their spring collection which is called 'Sweet Paris'. It's a gorgeous coral gloss that has a sprinkling of gold glitter in it. It is very sweetly scented and it reminds me of those parma violet sweets! I partly chose to wear it because it is a perfect accompanying shade to 'Coy' but also because this gloss claims to have a nourishing ingredient contained within it that is meant to hydrate your lips for up to 8 hours, which would make it the perfect choice to put it on top of a matte lip colour.

I've noticed since wearing 'Coy' that it is a slightly pinker (and I mean very slightly!) version of Illamasqua's 'Brink' lipstick which is a colour I have been absolutely loving since my boyfriend bought it for me for Christmas. Similarly to the TopShop colour, you have to be careful wearing it as it shows all dry parts of the lips and the Illamasqua formula is so matte that it just drags across the lips and dries them out throughout the day. Not a lip colour you can wear everyday but a colour that is really fun when you do, but I would urge you to wear either of these with a gloss or balm on top, overly dry lips just aren't a good look!

Coy on the lips;

'Coy' and 'Coral Idyllic' together;

Left to Right; Bourjois Effet 3D LipGloss '52 Coral Idyllic', TopShop Lipstick in 'Coy', Illamasqua Lipstick in 'Brink'.

So there we are, a neon coral statement spring lip!

I'd like to think that oneday I could enjoy wearing this coral lip in this over- indulgent borderline ridiculous but I love it anyway coral dining room! I could see me sauntering around with a beehive and some palazzo pants with my coral lips in this coral room, absolutely living the dream before I go for a paddle in my swimming pool ;)  (Oneday...)

Image from trendzona.com

 Will you be trying colours like this? Have you tried any of these products, what do you thinkof them? 

Would you pick 'Coy' or 'Brink' and do you feel compelled to add a glossy finish on top of such unforgiveable shades and formulas?

Emily's current skincare routine

Hola!

I know skincare product posts are never as exciting as makeup posts, but unless your skin is in good condition, nothing will look good on top! You need a good base! 

I love skincare, granted I don't know masses about it but I am learning more and more all of the time and feel pretty settled and happy in my current routine, so let me know if you use any of these! For reference, my skin tends to be dry combination, but changes depending on the season. My skin was also a wreck when I moved to Wales last July and so was my hair...I think it took a while to adapt to the different water!

From L to R; Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Cream, Muslin Cloth, Johnsons Facial Cleansing Wipes, Benefit Moisture Prep, Estee Lauder Daywear Advanced Multi- Protection Anti- Oxident Creme SPF15, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum.

Johnsons Facial Cleansing Wipes (£3.49 for 25); I use these in the evening to remove my makeup. Now I know, I know, these aren't particularly good for the skin, however I've been using these for a few months and they haven't particularly affected my skin whether it be for better or worse. I don't use these wipes as my sole cleanser, I use them to remove the majority of my makeup so that the muslin cloths I use with my Liz Earle cleanser don't end up looking like this after one use....

 

Exactly....who wants this drying in their bathroom everyday?! Better to remove it with a wipe!

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanse and Polish (£13-14 for 100ml) not much needs to be said about this, to call this a cult product is an understatement. This cleanser has transformed my skin completely, it feels nourished, healthy and thoroughly clean after using this. I use it twice a day and it freshens my face up nicely. It's consistency is a very thick mousse that lathers and you remove it with a damp muslin cloth that has been heated in a hand- hot sink of water. It has that typical Liz Earle smell, it's quite herby, natural and botanical with hints of lemon and tea tree and ingedients such as rosemary and chamomile, not particualrly feminine or sweet but I like it. A 100ml tube seems to last me about 5-6 weeks at a time. It's not cheap, but it's certainly not expensive for what it is considering how long it lasts and that I use it twice daily, I don't think I'll ever use another cleanser now!

 

Benefit Moisture Prep* (£23.50 for 177.4ml) This is part of the b.Right skincare range that was launched about a year ago now. As a range, it seems pretty nice, I used to really like the Total Moisture facial cream and Moisture Prep is my other favourite product from the range. I use it after my cleansers and apply it to a dry face, it is supposed to prepare the skin for your moisturiser and optimise the skins ability to maintain moisture. It's a milky substance, a little goes a long way I've been using this since November and am about halfway through it now. It soaks in fairly quickly and it seems to smoothe the skin over. I'll admit that I am a bit dubious of using Benefit's skincare range solely because they're all for the puns and fun marketing I find the message of what the product actually does can sometimes get lost in translation. I do like this though, the skin does feel firmer after using is and it feels nice and fresh on and it contains good ingredients like Aloe leaf and Vitamin E.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair* (£54 for 50ml) Read About This HERE.

Both of these items were free in the Estee Lauder Gift with Purchase promotion in Debenhams a couple of weeks ago, for those that aren't aware of what that is it's an event that normally scopes about 2 and a half weeks and is an offer that if you buy two Estee Lauder items you get a free gift, the one this month was worth over £60! Their usual full prices are £36 for a full sized pot of the Advanced Night Repair Eye and £37 for 50ml tub of the Daywear moisturiser.

The eye cream* feels like a thicker version of it's partner serum and is the same in colour. It's easy to use, soaks in quickly and doesn't leave any residue. The smallest amount goes a long way, too, so this 5ml tester size should last a while! 

I've just ordered a full sized tub of the Daywear Advanced Multi- Protection Anti- Oxident Creme* (what a mouthful!!!) it's got SPF 15 which is a nice bonus. Texture wise, this moisturiser feels so luxurious and cooling on the skin. It's scent is a fresh cucumber smell which is lovely. It can be slightly greasy on the skin as it takes a while to completely soak in and isn't oil- free, but it leaves my skin feeling hydrated and soft. It's got ingredients that protect and work against premature signs of ageing, and apparently was also voted the best moisturiser with SPF for the In Style Best Beauty Buys 2012! My skin feels a lot more more radiant and ready for makeup after using this and I would recommend it.

And we're done! I hope you enjoyed this post, I like reading about what people think about skincare but it is very objective and such a personal choice to make, but hopefully these reviews will have helped a few of you. 

I know it was pretty Estee Lauder heavy but to justify I met a 48 year old lady the other day who has been using Estee Lauder skincare since she was 23, and she genuinely doesn't look a day over 41! 

Let me know if you've got anything to recommend or if you use any of these products!! Have a lovely Sunday :-)

*I didn't pay full price for this item/I didn't pay for this item at all.

Springtime Nude Look #FOTD

Hiya girlies!

Apologies for a short absence, I been busy and the like. But I'm back with a spring nude inspired Face of the Day for you. 

According to Illamasqua's twitter yesterday it was National No Make Up Day, now this is a beauty blog so it would completely defeat the object to show you my face with no makeup on (I wouldn't subject you to that either, ha!) but I thought why not try a naked inspired look...

 

As strange as it may sound, I have real problems wearing a nude look, I'm always seen with a bold colour on my lips, or eyes, or cheeks. Or all. What can I say, I love makeup! I struggled to create a nude look and physically had to stop myself from reaching for the bold colours, it's become habit. However, I'm a strong believer that it's good to mix up your look and experiment and lately I have been gaining interest in nude lips. I don't own many nude, or natural- type lip colours in my collection so plumped for M.A.C 'Blankety' which is a sort of brown toned nude beige colour, I popped some Laura Mercier lip gloss on top to make it a bit more jazzy and to neutralise the brown tones a bit. I've just ordered Creme d'Nude so we'll see how I fair with that- will keep you posted!

I got to admit, I couldn't help but add a bright cheek colour...to make it a bit more exciting, Illamasqua powder blusher in 'Lover' is a strong fave of mine though would probably terrify most other people....I've got a post coming up on my Illamasqua blushers in a couple of weeks time, it's not showing up too strong in these pictures. I threw in a strong brow in for good measure, or I would have felt completely naked!

FOTD:

17 Photo Flawless Skin Primer

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in 'Shell'

Bare Minerals Matte Powder in 'C10 Fair'

Illamasqua Powder Blusher in 'Lover'

Benefit Hervana Blusher

M.A.C. Bronzing Powder in 'Matte Bronze'

Eyes:

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eyelid Primer

NARS Eyeshadow in 'Abyssinia' all over lid

17 Eyeshadow in 'Fanfare' in crease

M.A.C Eyeshadow in 'Showstopper' in crease and underneath eye, and used to define and fill brows

Maybelline Gel Eyeliner

Rimmel Eye Pencil in 'Pure White' on waterline

Benefit High Brow

M.A.C. Cream Colour Base in 'Pearl' on brow bone

Yves Saint Laurent 'Shocking' Mascara

M.A.C 'Blankety' (amplified) and Laura Mercier Lip Gloss in 'Nude Lilac'

What new makeup looks are you going to be trying this spring?

Do you struggle to wear a nude look, or is this what you wear everyday?

Can you recommend any great nude lip colours?

 

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair celebrates its 30th birthday!

Estee Lauder 'Advanced Night Repair' £54 for 50ml

Apparently 8 of these are sold per minute worldwide! That figure astounds me but I can understand why this is such a popular product, just days after using it, it had made me skin feel healthier, smoother and just generally in better condition. Two months into using it, it has become a staple product in my skincare routine.

I like the packaging a LOT! The dark brown glass bottle reminds me of vintage eras and old apothoceries yet there's a certain sophistication to it too. The pipette you use to dispense the product is really fun to use! (Or maybe I just need to get a life...)

Because it is a serum is soaks into deeper layers of skin than a moisturiser would and works on repairing damage to the skin, and minimising visible signs of ageing. At 22 years old I'm not sure that I can comment properly on the anti- ageing part, but I suppose time will tell.

The colour is a muted mustard yellow and the consistency is a thick gel that almost feels sticky until it has soaked in. A small amount covers the face and I'm hoping that my bottle will last 5-6 months. It is definitely a luxury item as the price isn't cheap! I use it after toning my face but before my moisturiser at night, it only takes seconds to soak into the skin so it doesn't feel like an awkward 'added step' to my skincare routine.

The design of this bottle is slightly different to the usual, the gold on the front is there to commemorate Advanced Night Repair's 30th birthday, that's pretty impressive and I'm a sucker for LE packaging!!

Do you use Advanced Night Repair? I've been using the eye cream too lately so expect a review on that soon :)

*I did not pay for this product.

A wordless post....M.A.C. Chatterbox

M.A.C. Lipstick in Chatterbox (Amplified) £13.50 for 3g.

My favourite beauty products....for feet!!

The last couple of years have been a time where I've become more and more aware of how important it really is to take care of your feet!! Having always had jobs where I'm on my feet all day, and always seemed to have had a penchant for silly shoes that ruin my feet I noticed them detiorating and thought it was time to take care of them properly. I was never one to wear those £2 Primark flats but I do wear better quality shoes nowadays, which probably helps, too.

Ped Egg Professional (You can buy this from JML stockists such as Boots or Debenhams for £10)

My mum introduced me to these and she swears by them. It's quite gruesome to describe but it's essentially a piece of egg shaped plastic that you hold, in it clips a miniature silver grate, that you use to rub along any rough areas of the feet. It gently removes any dead skin, rough skin, hard skin etc that is on the foot which makes them smoother, and a bit more aesthetically pleasing!! You can remove the grate to bin any dead skin that has collected underneath, and then you can wash it with warm soapy water to prevent any future infections, cross contamination, or general old manky skin collecting in the grate. It's a pretty cool contraption I think, it's quite relaxing to use and it really does work (I find it's best used after showering as the skin it softer then). I try to use it once a week.

Scholl Party Feet Beauty Cream 

I've got to say, this thick cream softens and nourishes the skin on my feet so well. It's heavily scented with papaya which is fine (but it also means I sometimes associate the smell of YSL lip glosses to my foot cream, as the smells aren't that dissimilar!) but I kind of wish it was a bit sweeter/vanillary, but it is nice and fresh. It soaks in fairly quickly as it is non greasy, and is really hydrating. I bought this from Boots but can't find it on the website, it was a reasonable price (I'd say under a fiver) and I chose it because Scholl seemed to be the leaders in footcare and foot knowledge!!

Nail clippers

These are from that 'Miss Pedicure' range that you can buy in Boots stores. For the cheap price I found these are really good quality clippers that do the job really well! They're quite large which means that they often cover the entire nail in one clip, they've remained sharp since I've had them and the pink parts are made of rubber which makes it easier to grip them aswell.

Nail Polish

This one is pretty obvious, but I really can't bare the sight of unpainted toe nails! For me, some colours are a complete no no- I don't like dark, gothic colours on the feet, but nor do I like true nudes either. I always opt for bright, feminine colours; pinks, reds, or shimmer polishes. A bit of colour on the feet instantly brightens them up and makes them look more cared for. Here are a few of my favourite colours for toenails;

Left to Right; Illamasqua 'Whack', Nails Inc 'Instyle Coral', Barry M '308 Berry' and Rimmel London '415 Instyle Coral'

 --Apparently I really love 'Instyle Coral' shades for my toes!!

Happy feet :-)

 

Do you use any of these, or have any products you'd recommend? What colours do you like to paint your toenails?