Mini MAC Haul- 'All About Orange' Collection.

I'll be honest and say I had gone off MAC a bit. After working for a short while for Illamasqua and getting to work with such strongly pigmented products, anything I swatched at MAC just seemed watery in comparison. Alas, when I saw they were releasing a collection dedicated to orange I knew I would cave. I love orange and coral. They are without a doubt my go-to colours in the summer, give me an orange lipstick over a pink one anyday.

Afer a bit of deliberation I knew I could sort of justify a MAC splurge if it was for my kit. I've got enough MAC lippies to last me a life time.

I originally thought I wanted 'Sushi Flower' lipstick as it such a 'me' shade but I opted for a slightly more wearable 'Razzledazzler' as it would have more of a universal appeal, would suit more people and would be perfect for bridal. It's a milky coral. By no means is it bright or neon-esque, the lustre finish means it has an underlying 'sheer' quality about it and a glisten-y finish. It very much reminds me of the permanent lip glass Pink Lemonade with it's mid-tone yet brightening qualities. This will suit pale and tanned girls alike though I probably wouldn't advise it for asian skin tone or deeper. It's pretty long lasting considering the slip of the finish, 2-3 hours wear and leaves a pretty coral 'just bitten' stain behind. Easy enough to top up on the go though.

After thinking one of my MAC blushes was faulty due to it's absolute lack of pigment ('Pink Swoon' FYI) I was dubious to spend money on another. Unlike 'Pink Swoon' which is a sheertone blush (which may explain it's lack of colour when swatched) 'Immortal Flower' is a satin finish which means it's not totally matte, but there's no detectable glitter or shimmer present either. It's very peach in the pan which doesn't come across in my photos unfortunately. On me, a light dusting gives a soft peachy glow, but it can be built up a little more intense. Again, this will look simply gorgeous on a bride because it hasn't got that disco ball shimmer in it and it makes you 'glow' rather than look too blusher-y. It photographs beautifully.

Both 'Razzledazzler' and 'Immortal Flower' compliment one another when worn together. I do wish I had a bit more money to spend as I would have caved into 'Sushi Flower' any way and would have probably picked up 'Neon Orange' for the hell of it too. Unlike the other MAC collections released this year, this one has impressed me.

Thankyou for reading,

E.

Ciaté 'Cookies and Cream.'

It's been such a treat opening up each window on my Ciaté advent calendar. There's been a few questionable shade choices (there's a canary yellow that I know will go untouched) but overall they've been lovely picks. 
Opening up the window to 'Cookies and Cream' immediately prompted my nude obsession to come flooding back to me. I posted a while back about how much I was enjoying a nude nail- understated, feminine and so chic but with the onset of winter I felt compelled to wear deep reds, dark greens and greys. The nude polishes got brushed aside and ignored.
'Cookies and Cream' reminded me straight away of my beloved 'Sand Tropez' from Essie. They're very, very similar, a warm pastel beige that even flatters pale, pink hands like mine.
In terms of application this polish was opaque in two coats but I applied three to stengthen the finish (they seem to chip on me a bit too quickly with two coats, other than that I can't complain)

I'll do a post with the 'best of' the advent calendar after christmas with swatches of my favourites, I just thought that this one was worth a mention in the mean time. It's certainly up there in the favourites!

Do you like nude nail polishes? What nail polish are you loving at the moment?

Midweek Post: Limited Edition LUSH Shower Gel.

LUSH 'Snow Fairy' Shower Gel, £4.25 for 100ml. (Limited Edition)
LUSH 'Twilight' Shower Gel, £4.25 for 100ml. (Limited Edition)

I popped into LUSH last week to pick up my annual bottle of Snow Fairy. I know it must be a love/hate scent because Snow Fairy is so sugary that it wouldn't appeal to everyone, but I do enjoy it's sickly sweet aroma. I don't however enjoy its sickly sweet aroma for more than 100ml. This gets a bit much and a bit samey very quickly, and while it is a treat to have, I'm always happy to see the back of it. Talk about a fickle relationship, eh?
I was really interested in buying Glogg but apparently missed the boat on that one as it isn't being sold this Christmas (even though it's on the website?) Instead the sales assistant showed me Ponche and Twilight. While I wasn't too fussed on the orange/tequila Ponche I was happily surprised at how much I liked the first whiff of Twilight. Infused with Lavendar and malt it seemed like the perfect night time shower gel. While it has the strong, herby scent of lavendar it doesn't have that nana smell that so many products have, it's got a bit more punch without being overwhelming or intoxicating. I've used it every day since.

I trotted home with my two 100ml shower gels a very happy girl. I am an absolute shower gel addict- I LOVE them! I think I've got 5 or 6 in regular circulation at the moment. The only downside to these two shower gels is that they contain parabens. I think it's a real shame that a company such as LUSH who champion cruelty free and natural ingredients are still including parabens which have such a bad stigma attached to them. If it wasn't for this fact I'd give these products a double thumbs up!

My collection- highlighters & illuminators.

Complexion is key, if your base isn't right then the colour you add with eyeshadows and lip products won't look their best. For a polished, healthy complexion I rely on highlighters and illuminators, and due to my magpie like tendencies with said product I have managed to work up quite a collection....

MAC MSF in 'Soft & Gentle' doesn't need much of an introduction, and I choose to use it most days. It's a warm highlighter that can be dusted all over or built up in certain areas to create a glow. As it is mineral, it can be used wet or dry and this also creates different finishes, you get a huge dome of product and is a definite summer must have for me, but be careful not to build it up to a strong metallic finish- unless you want to look like the Tin Man from Oz.

YSL 'The White Tuxedo Palette' or Palette Blanc Terriblement; This was Limited Edition in the YSL Christmas Collection in 2011. It is perfect for the winter because it is cool toned and more suited to pale complexions, in the case it looks like freshly fallen snow and was almost too pretty to use. Overall it creates a pretty pink pearlescent highlight, however less is certainly more with this one. See more here.

TopShop Highlighter in 'Sunbeam'; To be honest I don't know what I was thinking when I bought this product, I can't see this suiting anybody because it is just so gold. I find it hard to apply this subtley and the finish is just all off. I've only used this a coule of times, I think it'll be cleaned and go into a future MUA kit for the more 'out there', imaginative looks. Not one for you natural Nancy's out there.

NARS Illuminator in 'Super Orgasm'; This is a pretty golden peach colour that is creamy in consistency. It's pretty applied onto the cheeks but due to it's glittery shimmer it is more suitable for night time. This isn't a product I use very much, but I am going to try and use it more.

Benefit 'Watt's Up!' this is a fairly new release from Benefit and is a creamy stick of a champagne gold colour. It's a verstaile colour as it can be used as an eyeshadow aswell. It gives a similar finish to Soft and Gentle, but is in cream form so is best suited for girls who don't set their foundation with powder, as it blends better then.

MAC Cream Colour Base in 'Pearl'- Once upon a time, I love love loved this however it began to feel a bit too greasy on my skin and didn't blend as well. The shade is gorgeous as it suits my skin tone yet adds a warm, subtle glow. This is perfect as an all over highlighter, it's delicate finish means it is perfect stroked down the centre of the nose, above the lips, on the brow bone and of course, on the cheek bone. It's best blended when your foundation is still wet!

TopShop 'Skin Glow'- I've had this one a while and am just using it up. It reminds me of Benefit's Moon Beam which has now been discontinued, but is similar in it's pink, gold pearlescent finish. It's lovely mixed into foundation or as a base before foundation but not a product I would buy again.

MAC Strobe Cream- This perks up the skin and illuminates even through thick foundation. It is a popular product and I can see why, but the smell is pretty dire.

L'Oreal Lumi Magique primer- this is marketed as a primer though doesn't particularly prolong the wear of my makeup. I like to mix this in with foundations that are a bit too dark as it pales it down whilst adding an illuminating glow. 

Benefit 'Girl Meets Pearl'- this is similar to Watt's Up in terms of it's champagne gold colour however it is in liquid form, this is beautiful and very subtle, it adds a warmth but isn't a product I'll purchase full size.

Benefit 'High Brow'; I love this because it instantly lifts the brow bone when gently applied and blended beneath the brow. It works best on fair skin tones as it will look most natural, and can also be applied on the water line to brighten up tired eyes, due to it's pinky tones it's a bit more natural than a stark white eyeliner.

Benefit 'High Beam'; This is an oldie but a goodie. Personally, I think this product is too 'high shine' for use on the cheekbones, so is best used to highlight the brow bone. This is the perfect finishing touch to an evening smokey eye, or used in the day to open up the eye area and add a beautiful sheen. The effects are very obvious so isn't one for those who like a tuned down look, and again this is best suited to fairer skins as it will just look streaky and too white/silver on anyone tanned or with deep skin tones.

I think that powder is my favourite medium to use at the moment so I am looking to expand on my powder highlighter collection- do you have any that you can recommend to me??

Midweek post; MAC Vegas Volt! (vs Watch Me Simmer)

MAC lipstick in 'Vegas Volt', £13.50 for 3g.

Yes, some of you may be yawning 'another MAC lipstick?' but as lip products are one of my favourite things, I like to document them!

Vegas Volt is one of those 'in your face' lipsticks that many of us know and love. Excellent for brightening up a pale complexion such as mine and absolutely divine on tanned skin, it's one of those colours that if you have the balls to wear it, it'll be a colour that'll be much loved in your collection.

One thing I noticed when I got it home is that it reminded me of one of my favourite lipsticks 'Watch Me Simmer' which if you read my blog regularly you'll know it first appeared in my 'Shop MAC' mini haul and has featured in monthly favourites posts too. I will say that I do still prefer Watch Me Simmer due to it's coral pink leaning, whereas Vegas Volt is more of a orange coral infused tomato red. Both are neon-esque shades and are great worn subtley and dabbed onto the lips or at full opacity!

The photograph below shows Watch Me Simmer on the left and Vegas Volt on the right.

Watch Me Simmer was limited edition in 'Shop' and then re-released in the 'Reel Sexy' collection however Vegas Volt is a permanent shade.

I love both of these lipsticks, and shades such as this really are staples on my summer face!

Do you own Vegas Volt?

Limited Edition OPI Vintage Minnie Mouse Collection- Nothin' Mousie 'Bout It!

OPI LE Nail Varnish in 'Nothin' Mousie 'Bout It', £11.50 for 15ml.

I'd been waiting (albeit impatiently) for Lena White to launch this collection for days, so I ended up doing a quick search on Amazon and found that there was a few of these available. I ordered and was so excited when it arrived through the post on Friday! (FYI the collection is now live on Lena White)

I knew I needed this in my life, I'm a huge fan of Disney and Minnie Mouse though I'll be honest and say that the other three polishes in the collection didn't particularly catch my eye. 'Nothin' Mousie 'Bout It' is a glitter top coat with heart confetti. The polish itself is translucent with a very slight tinge of pink. The glitter is abundant in the polish and is very fine, it sparkles a gorgeous lilac pink colour when it catches the light. The heart confetti is fairly sparse in comparison and is medium sized and in the same shade of pink as the fine glitter. I've personally never seen a topcoat like this before and I absolutely love how unique and pretty it is.

Although the heart confetti is fairly sparse, it's actually not too difficult to get at least one heart per nail per layer. A little bit of skill may be needed here and there to get the hearts into a position you're happy with, but this was fairly easy especially if the bottle is shaken before application. I've read a couple of moany reviews about this from US bloggers, but I found the process really quite straightforward when I was expecting it to be quite frustrating. This certainly isn't an 'apply and go' polish, you do have to set a bit of time aside, but I personally think the results are completely worth it. 

At first I applied it on top of OPI 'That's Hot! Pink!' to achieve this look I applied two coats of 'Nothin' Mousie 'Bout It'. It was a bit of a rushed job and they ended up a bit gloopy as I didn't allow much drying time.

A day later I thought it'd be interesting to put it on top of Essie's 'Mint Candy Apple' and the results are a stunning finish that reminds me of a mermaids tail! The pink glitter and confetti compliment the aqua tones of Mint Candy Apple so well. Below shows one coat of 'Nothin Mouseie 'Bout It', which I think I actually prefer to two coats as it is a bit more understated. Apologies that my camera just didn't seem to pick up the glitter very well :-(

Overall, I'm super happy with this polish and cannot wait to try it on top of other colour combinations! I'd recommend it if you love sparkly, over the top nails! Snap it up while it's still available!

Midweek post: A product I do not regret buying!

Although I love reading monthly favourites and reviews, I'm always so interested to know what makeup products some people continually choose to use and go back to. For example, until about 9 months ago I'd only used L'Oreal Telescopic mascara for about 5 years. The term 'why fix it if it ain't broke?' comes to mind. However since then I've tried YSL Shocking, Benefit 'They're Real', numerous other L'oreal mascaras as well as a few testers of Clinique and Estee Lauder's offerings (post coming up about those!) and I still go back to Telescopic as my favourite.

While looking through my makeup collection (and yes I view it as a collection!) I noticed that there's one product I specifically return to time after time, and believe it or not it was an impulse buy when I was Christmas shopping in MAC a couple of years ago.

Behold the 'Dashing Lassie' palette from the 'A Tartan Tale' collection, 2010!

Please excuse it's now tatty state but one things for sure- it's well loved!

At the time it was a lot to pay (I was a skint post-grad) but something about the palette spoke to me and I got it without a second thought. For me it was the perfect palette of browns, and it certainly hasn't disappointed! Below are swatches of each colour so you can see, but rather than an actual product review this is just more of a chat, as I'm curious to know which products you go back to time and time again, Limited Edition or not I think it's nice to see such a used palette, especially from a makeup blogger who loves nothing more than a fresh pan of colour!

Dashing Lassie: Thinking this may be the most used, the colour pigmentation is the most disappointing. It applies a sheer wash of 'frost', there's no other way to really describe it! It barely shows in the photo above and unfortunately barely shows on eyelids either.

Once Upon A Time: A much loved colour! A neutral colour with shimmer, lovely worn on it's own or as a base, as you can see I don't get to wear this anymore, it ran out long ago and I struggled to get enough product to swatch.

Magical Mist: Looks silver in the pan but applies a dirty, metallic taupe colour.Really stunning and understated, looks lovely against green eyes!

Bronze: A beautiful metallic copper bronze shade, great for adding warmth as a contrast to the other shades in the palette. It's super pigmented and can be used to create a really striking bronze eye- one of my favourite looks.

Buckwheat: A deep brown with red and golden undertones. Buttery soft and gorgeously metallic, everyone needs a colour like this.

Showstopper: This will have featured in several of my recent FOTD's as it's a colour I favour to fill in my eyebrows at the moment. A deep matte brown with fabulous pay off. Also great for adding depth to neutral eye looks or adding natural definition under the eye.

It's sad to know that all of these shades were Limited Edition, because I think they'd be popular permanent lines. However, I know I'll use each section until it looks as worn as 'Once Upon A Time'!

Did you buy this palette when it was released? What is your most used makeup purchase?

M.A.C. 'Shop' Collection Limited Edition Lipstick Reviews & Swatches

M.A.C. LE Lipsticks in 'Watch Me Simmer' and 'Naughty Saute', £13.50 for 3.5g

I talked a bit about 'Shop' and 'Cook' from this years M.A.C. limited edition collection exclusively for Selfridges (here) and how I wasn't completely sold on the products as a collective. But of course, after seeing swatches on Temptalia I was convinced that I NEEDED a couple of the lipsticks in my life.....

After texting and ringing round (by the time I checked they had sold out on the website), and eventually getting a friend of a friend (thankyou!) who works in Selfridges bagsy me them before they sold out, they've been posted from LDN and are now in my possession for me to wear and review for you lot! #TheThingsIDoForMakeup

Although 'Runaway Red' looked beautiful I was won over by 'Watch Me Simmer'- a neon-esque coral and 'Naughty Saute' - an irresistable bubblgegum pink.

Left- Naughty Saute, Right- Watch Me Simmer.

 'Naughty Saute' is a medium pink that has a luminous sort of finish, it's very bright and striking. The candy pink colour deepens on top of lips which is more flattering to the skin than really light shades. It's a cremesheen so glides onto the lips smoothly yet seems to last a good amount of time, and feels comfortable on.

'Watch Me Simmer' is a stunning, bright pink- coral. Similarly to 'Naughty Saute' it's very striking, not for the faint hearted! This colour seems to remain on the lips after the Amplified shine formula has worn off. It is smooth to apply and is almost milky in consistency. This colour develops over time on the lips to a pinker colour, and boy it don't half stain!! Be prepared for bright lips the day after wearing this!

Both shades can achieve an opaque finish easily yet you can also achieve a more subtle finish from dabbing/one layer.

I'm really happy with both of these shades, and I am looking forward to wearing them more! They also make a nice to change to my usual choice of matte lipsticks!

Dupes

'Naughty Saute' can be replicated, (I couldn't notice the difference) with Estee Lauder's Pure Colour lipstick in 'Electric Pink'.

'Watch Me Simmer' can be duplicated with Estee Lauder's Signature lipstick in no. 59 'Portofino Coral', the colours are pretty much the same. Estee Lauder's Pure Colour lipstick in 'Coral Fantasy' is also very similar.

Did you manage to get your hands on any of the lipsticks, or the rest of the 'Shop Shop Shop' collection?