Last week was my birthday and I decided to buy myself another MAC lipstick, as I only have one other ('Chatterbox', swatched here) but I love the formula. I went to Selfridges not knowing which shade to buy, so I swatched so many on my hand until I found one I liked!
The shade I settled on was 'Craving', which is an Amplified Creme finish.
As you can see, 'Craving' is a gorgeous plum toned deep pink and is really pigmented. The finish is gorgeous, really creamy with a bit of a shine and it glides on so easily and isn't at all drying. I've found that the colour lasts really well too, even when eating and drinking, although I do like to top it up when I can.
'Craving' isn't a shade I had heard of before, which makes me think it is perhaps one of the more underrated MAC lipstick shades- one that deserves more publicity! I wear it almost every day now, it is so easy to wear and is great for everyday or for evening with a more dramatic eye look.
You can buy 'Craving' from MAC online or in store for £15. More expensive than your high street lipstick but well worth the money in my opinion!
What do you think? What MAC lipstick shades do you love?
It was my birthday on Thursday and I went to the Trafford Centre for the day for a little bit of shopping. I didn't have any plans as to what I might buy, I just bought whatever I liked when I saw it- less pressure that way! I will review some of the things I bought, but if you have any specific review requests pleas drop me a comment. Here we go!
Superdry Vintage T-shirt- £19.99- Superdry Store- This is a bit of a luxury purchase for me, as I wouldn't usually spend so much on a t-shirt. However, I think the fit of these tees is so flattering and I had been looking at this particular one for years as I am in love with the pink/purple colour combination!
MAC Amplified Creme Lipstick in 'Craving'- £15- Selfridges- This is my second MAC lipstick and since purchasing it it has barely left my lips! It is a gorgeous subtle plum shade, perfect for every day wear. I will be reviewing this within the week so watch this space.
MAC Eyeshadow Pro Palette Refil Pan in 'Da Bling'- £10- Selfridges- I wanted another refil pan to add to my MAC Pro Palette and I had no idea which shade to go for! I swatched a few and decided on 'Da Bling', which is a gorgeous pastel pink with a hint of shimmer. I will be reviewing this shadow soon as well as 'Mulch', another shade added to my collection recently.
Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in 'Guava' (left) and 'Plum' (right)- £3.99 Each- Superdrug- I bought these as they were on 2 for £6, so I couldn't resist! I've wanted to try them for a while as they are so hyped, I love the two shades I chose. I am going to try out 'Plum' today, so I will be posting about that very soon too.
New Balance 625 Running Shoes- £31.99 (Was £44.99)- Sports Direct- We nipped into Sports Direct after visiting the Trafford Centre as I wanted to buy some running shoes, these are the ones I chose. The boyfriend and I are taking up running together, eek! So these were a much needed purchase. The pink on them is much brighter than it shoes in the picture- people will see me coming from a mile off!
So there you have it! What do you think of my purchases?
Today's nail of the day is one I feel quite proud of, but unfortunately the photo doesn't do it justice! I struggled to get a focused image, but this one wasn't too bad. The colours I used to create this look were Barry M 'Mint Green' and 'Peach Melba', Models Own 'Beth's Blue' and Nails Inc 'Elizabeth Street'. I used the end of a bobby pin/hair grip to create the dots. I accidentally forgot to use the blue for dots, what a dope! I think it looks quite random as a result however, which I quite like. What do you think of this look?
Shorts are a bit of a weakness for me; I have so many pairs. I wear them all year round with tights and in Summer I wear some pairs with no tights, but only the ones that don't have a risk of the dreaded 'cheek leak'! I've been browsing the internet for my pick of the best, so here we go!
From left to right, top to bottom:
MOTO Daisy Ripped Hotpants- £30- Topshop- These are slightly high waisted and the daisy print makes them stand out a little more than your average denim shorts. They caught my eye as the daisies are so cute!
MOTO Ying Yang Print Hotpants- £32- Topshop- When I saw these I knew they had to be included in this post, the colour is gorgeous and I love the ying yang prints! These would be good with black tights in winter too, with the deep red colour.
Light Blue Wash Denim Crochet Leg Shorts- £22.99- New Look- Again these caught my eye as they are a little different take on your regular light wash denim shorts. The crochet panel is so on trend for Summer and I love the rugged turn up style!
Blue Vintage Floral Shorts- £22 (was £32)- Miss Selfridge- How pretty is the print on these shorts? I love anything with a vintage look about it and these fit the bill. The contrast of the blue with the white is so beautiful too.
Blue Plait Detail Denim Shorts- £22- Dorothy Perkins- The first thing that caught my eye on these shorts is the plait detail, so simple yet they really help to jazz up the shorts a little. Secondly, I like the length of them; these days it is hard to find shorts that aren't verging on being denim knickers, but the length of these is perfect for anyone a bit self conscious of the thigh region!
So there you have it! What do you think to these picks? Today is my 22nd birthday and I'm off to the Trafford Centre for the day- I might treat myself to a pair of these!
benefit
Benefit Smokin' Eyes Eye and Brow Makeover Kit: Review and Swatches
Tuesday 6 August 2013 11:48
Today I have a review of a product I have actually owned for almost a year now, but didn't realise I hadn't blogged about it! I don't own very many pieces of Benefit make-up, but everything I have tried I have loved and this piece is no different. To buy this palette new from Boots it is £28.50, which is more than I would normally pay for a product but the quality is excellent and Benefit is a high-end beauty brand. I was lucky enough to only pay around £20 including postage as I bought it from a blog sale, I simply couldn't resist as it was first on my Benefit Wish List!
As I did buy my palette from a blog sale, it didn't come with the 'Complete Beauty Lesson' pamphlet that is normally comes with, but I haven't missed it so I'm not too bothered. The set comes with everything you need to create a smoky eye look, including brow wax, highlighter, eyeshadows, eye bright, eyeliner and the tools you will need (tweezers, brushes).
In the image above you can see the eyeshadows on the top row, including a pink highlight, a pewter base colour and a deep matte black shadow. These are perfect for creating a smoky look and there is a guide on the back of the palette (and I guess on the missing tutorial pamphlet!) telling you where each shadow should be applied. The two wax products are the infamous Benefit 'Brow Zings' and 'Eye Bright', for brightening the under eye area and filling in your eyebrows whilst waxing them in place.
The set also comes with a mini eye liner, tweezers and a double ended angled and fluffy brush. This when combined with the built in mirror makes this kit perfect for nights out or travel, as everything you would need to create a smoky eye look is included in one very cute package!
Above are swatches of the 'Brow Zings' wax and the 'Eye Bright'. They are very creamy and apply light and subtle, so it is difficult to be too heavy handed with them which is great and makes it hard to make mistakes, particularly when filling in your brows.
Above are swatches of the pink highlight shadow, pewter base shadow and matte black shadows. The furthest right is a swatch of the mini eyeliner. The eyeshadows are really pigmented and soft, they also last all day if used with a good eyelid primer. The only negative I have for this entire product is the mini 'Smokin' Liner'. It isn't very pigmented and it quite hard, making the liner drag your eyes when applying. This is a shame as it is the only blemish in an otherwise excellent product!
As I mentioned earlier, you can buy this product from Boots for £28.50. I think it is worth the money as it really didn't disappoint!
So there you have it! What do you think to this set? Do you own it yourself?
My blog makes it pretty obvious that I have a slight addiction to the Models Own 'Beetlejuice' collection! This shade is 'Golden Green', one of the shades in the mini trio pack of 'Beetlejuice' polishes. As the name suggests, in some lights this shade shines golden but on the surface is a gorgeous pearly green. Out of all of the shades in the Models Own 'Beetlejuice' collection, I think this shade most resembles the shell of a beetle! It catches the light beautifully and looks different from every angle. I just love it, I would love to know what you think to it too?
It is a while since I wrote a monthly favourites post, so I thought I'd get back on the favourites wagon for July! Before I begin, I have been finding it incredibly difficult to photograph anything over the last few months as my parents' house has poor lighting conditions for my little point-and-shoot camera, this picture is no different and for that I apologise! If anybody has any tips for getting the most out of photographing indoors with a point-and-shoot I would really appreciate it! Back to the point, here are my July favourites:
Britney Spears 'Curious' Perfume 100ml- This perfume was first brought out in 2005 and nowadays can be bought quite cheaply from most drugstores. This is my third or fourth bottle of it and I hadn't worn it for a while, but this month I have returned to it and I love it as much as ever! It is a floral-vanilla-type scent and lasts all day. Perfect! (I have lost the lid as you can see, eek)
Barry M Nail Varnish in 'Peach Melba'- My last nail of the day post featured this shade, the perfect subtle, summery orange. Orange is my favourite colour and combined with the infamous Barry M formula you can't get any better than this.
Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Oily/Combination Skin in 'Buff'- I posted a review of this recently here, as it is my new go-to foundation. The coverage is second-to-none and it keeps my oily skin at bay.
Avon Super Shock Gel Liner in 'Black'- This is my favourite pencil liner and I use it every day to line my bottom waterline. It glides on so easily without tugging and it is SO black! Avon wins again!
Miners The Matte Factor Lip Paint in 'Peach'- I reviewed this about a year ago here, but I have been wearing it a lot this summer. I love the matte finish and the peachy shade is gorgeous, definitely one of my all-time favourites.
So there you have it! What do you think? Also, any photography tips would be really appreciated!