Mac Midimauve lipstick swatches

Nars Tainted Love Collection and Swatches

PICTURE HEAVY

This set is a limited edition set, I have already done a post about it previously and promised that i would do some actual swatches -so here they are !!

Nars tainted love set contains

• Nars Angelika multiple (ltd ed) for eyes lips and cheeks -I like that this is a cream to powder formula and is not sticky, greasy or tacky on the face.
• Nars Angelika Lipgloss (ltd ed) 
• Nars Schiap nail polish 

This kit is definitely for very girly girls, as all the products are a hot barbie pink colour and perfect for the spring to summer time

The collection was released as a valentines day special in february 2011 and retails for £46 in the UK
but would cost £60 if all of these products were available individually

I have swatched the Nars Angelika blush and lipgloss to show how gorgeous this shade really is

The hand with the schiapp nail polish swatch dots is my three year old babys hand, shes always around when Im blogging and I let her get involved in the process in fact I sometimes even let her take pictures too.

XOXO

Review:- Smashbox Double take lipstick in Apricot

The Debenhams website says :-

The doubletake lip colour from Smashbox is a lip pencil and creamy lip color in one! This vitamin-packed, long-wearing formula has caffeine and nourishing wheat glycerides to moisturize and protect lips

I do like that this lipstick is dual ended and that you get the matching lipliner with the lipstick
the formula is smooth, and creamy and has a good pigment it is a somewhere between a satin and cremesheen lipstick since i know alot of people prefer descriptions in mac cosmetic terms.
Im not sure what effect caffeine is supposed to have on the lips -maybe to wake up my lips??? lol!

The only con i would say is that it will need sharpening so dont make this your only handbag lipstick if you are not very efficient at making sure all of your makeup (pencils) are prepped and sharpened at all times

The colour is so this season, the name apricot really suits it s it is just that a peachy, coral apricot shade!
It is close to revlon peach colorburst lipstick and Mac Ever hip lipstick

I think this shade might be limited edition however there are four other colours available from the debenhams website

• Sugar and spice
• Amaretto 
• Praline 
• Cranberry

Ameretto is quite nice but my favourite of this bunch is Praline its a very neutral and versatile shade

This pencil is not cheap at £20.50
But worth it if you consider it as a lip liner and lipstick


                                                                           XOXO

Review:- Smashbox Lipstick in Candle with swatches

I dont have many Smashbox lipsticks but I have this one as well as a couple of other which I will hopwfully review very soon

This Lipstick is Smashbox's top selling best lipstick
And probably my favourite lipstick from Smashbox too

Its really versatile and can work with alot of different looks as the colour is quite pigmented, It is quite a frosty kind of lipstick, and can be abit drying on the lips if applied to already dry lips.

The colour itself is a nude shimmery pink bronze champagne colour

A Smashbox insider Makeup artist trick direct from the Smashbox makeup studio is to use Candle lipstick just on the centre of the lower lip to give the illusion of a more fuller lip -I dont do this myself as I feel that I already have very voluptuous lips!



                                                                         XOXO

Sleek mediterranean collection Monaco palette

This is another limited edition palette from Sleek
I really love their palettes
the eyeshadows are mineral based
and are very good quality
the pigmentation is good
and the colour you see is usually the same as the payoff that you get
Sleek have recently put up their prices and th paletttes now retail for £6.50 which is very cheap, affordable, reasonable.

Sleek products are available from the sleek website www.sleekmakeup.com
or from most superdrugs stores

This palette is really bright and perfect for summer I have been wearing out very summery looks and I will post some looks with this shortly



                                                                             XOXO

MAC Bombshell lipstick Swatch

Mac lipstick swatch in bombshell

A gorgeous pretty pink frost lipstick with golden shimmer 

XOXO

What im wearing on my nails this summer with swatches

FIRST PICTURE

1 - Chanel Mimosa (fleurs d ete ltd ed  2011)

2- Chanel Morning rose (fleur d ete ltd ed 2011)

3- Nars Schiapp

4- OPI Senorita Rosalita

5- OPI Elephantastic pink 

SECOND PICTURE

6 - OPI Glitzerland 

7 - OPI Bring on the bling 

8 - OPI Sparkle-icious

9 - OPI Elephantastic pink 

10 - OPI legally blonde (cant remember exact shade name will update soon)

XOXO

My Travel Brush Collection Set

These are mini deluxe bobbi brown brushes
there are 6 brushes in this collection
from L to R
Blender brush
Large eyeshadow brush
Eyeliner brush
Eyeshadow brush
Lip brush

I think I bought this for £70 but I could be wrong
the brush set is limited edition from the Bobbi Brown ltd ed Platinum Collection

I like that the brush holder case is very flexible in that it does not have individual brush divides
each side of the brush holder has one large area each to fit in as many brushes as can fit in
so I have been able to add in all of my other little bobbi brown brushes from various other limited edition collections

I will post up some more actual pictures of my travel brush set very soon

XOXO

Laura Mercier Premier Beauty Collection

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION

Beauty is in the bag. This classic cosmetic bag holds everything you need for a great new look, plus a special exclusive preview of Tightline Cake Eye Liner in a limited-edition shade. There are so many different makeup looks you can create with this versatile colour mix for eyes, cheeks and lips. Also included, a flawless Foundation Primer, a Double-Ended Professional Brush, a Mini-Mascara, and a “Look Card” with application tips and techniques. It’s chic and portable – perfect for touch-ups on the go!

Premiere Colour Collection includes:

• Mini Foundation Primer (30ml)
• Tightline Cake Eye Liner in Ground Espresso (1.4g)
• Eye Colour Duo in Dusk/Chocolate (2.5g)
• Lip Glacé in Pink Lilac (2.8g)
• Mini Black Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara (5.7g)
• Double-Ended Pony Tail/Flat Eye Liner Brush
• Cosmetic Bag

This Collection was said to be exclusive to John Lewis in the UK 

And I first saw it at my local John Lewis counter and absolutely fell in love with this Collection 

It is a complete colour collection 

the only thing the collection needs is your own face products such as foundation and concealer and blusher 

This set was released as a launch for Laura Merciers new tight liner collection 

which is now available in quite a few colours and in case you are unsure 

Tight lining is the name given to the lining of the upper inner rim or upper waterline or  the upper inner lid

The Lipgloss is a gorgeous pink, in my opinion the perfect pink, neither too light or too bright  and is exclusive to this kit only !

The Shadow and the tight liner can both be popped out of the individual compacts to fit into a laura mercier professional palette 

The shadows are a gorgeous duo compact 

the lighter colour is a shimmery lavender with a golden pearl similar to Mac trax eyeshadow but not an exact dupe

The darker shadow is a very deep chocolate plum 

I do have this collection and I will be posting actual photos, face of the day,  and swatches etc very soon 

XOXO

Nars Tainted Love

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION

Ignite your passion for pink! Angelika Lip Gloss pairs with new, limited edition Angelika Multiple for delighting eyes lips, and cheeks in a cotton-candy hue with flecks of shimmering silver and gold. Nails make a statement in shocking pink Schiap. 

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This picture is from the www.narscosmetics.co.uk website 

the set retails for £44 and was a valentines day special

I have bought this from www.spacenk.co.uk 

As I now have a space nk loyalty card and its worth saving up the points for money off further purchases 

I will be posting actual pictures and swatches soon

XOXO

Laura Mercier Classic smokey eye palette

I Am soo excited about this new Smokey eye palette from Laura Mercier 

I think it contains everything you need to create a perfect smokey eye

it even contains 3 professional dual ended brushes 

I think that this is the first time Ive ever seen this in a palette 

I just found this palette whilst browsing on the www.johnlewis.com website 

this picture is also from that website 

And it retails for £55

Which although expensive, but it is five eyeshadows and six dual ended brushes 

This palette is definitely on my wishlist and I cannot wait until I get it !

I think that this palette would pair perfectly with my Nars Tainted Love collection

(I will do a separate post on this for you soon )

And I will ofcourse add information and more pictures of the actual palette once i get it 

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION

(from John lewis website)

Create smoldering, smoky eyes with my new Classic Smoky Eye Palette. All you need are the right shades and tools which I have hand selected for this signature kit. Included are four universal Eye Colours ranging from all over colour to a midtone, definer and highlighter. Also featured is my cult classic Tightline Cake Eye Liner in Black Ebony, which is my secret weapon to achieving the ultimate smoky eye. It’s all sleekly housed in a slimline compact with a total of five professional brushes. I’m here every step of the way with my detailed instructional guide found inside.

The palette contains:

• Black Ebony Tightline Cake Eye Liner (1.90g)
• Sparkling Noir Luster Eye Colour (1.40g)
• Granite, Vanilla Matte Eye Colour (2 x 1.40g)
• Sable Sateen Eye Colour (1.40g)

XOXO

Mac semi precious MSF and blush swatches

Top Row 

are all of the Mac Mineralize skinfinish  from the mac semi precious collection 

1. Crystal pink - Beige, champagne/ white, plum bronze

2. Goldstone -Rosy pink/ silver, lime, white pink, copper

3. Rose quartz - pink, champagne / pink, dirty green, bronze

Somebody had Semi precious pearl MSF so I was unable to swatch this one :(

Bottom Row 

4.  Feeling flush - pink, deep blue, pink, soft brown

5. Pressed Amber - Nude, beige, brown

6.  Warmth of coral - coral peach 

The mineralize blush retail for uk £18 each 

and are uk/6g  usa/0.21 oz

I have the pressed Amber mineralize blush which im loving for everday use 

I have already reviewed and swatched this 

XOXO

MAC Semi precious lipstick swatches

Mac Semi precious collection july 2011

Swatches with  official description from www.maccosmetics.co.uk

1. Gem of Roses - Midtone strawberry pink
2. One of a kind - Midtone rosy neutral
3. Lush Amber - light nude beige 
4. Musky Amethyst - Deep plum 

Each lipstick retails for £13.50

and is uk/3g usa/0.1 oz

I could not find it in the description but I believe that these are lustre finish lipsticks 

which are quite sheer and moisturising 

almost like a lipgloss in a lipstick 

 probably my favourite type of lipstick from mac

My Favourite lipstick from this collection is lush amber which I have already reviewed and swatched

I took these pictures on my iphone 4, so the quality is not the best but i think that the colours are showing more true than the pictures that were provided on the mac website 

XOXO

MAC Semi precious Cremesheen lip glass Swatches

Mac Semi precious Cremesheen lipglass swatches with official descriptions from www.maccosmetics.co.uk 

 1 -  Natural Flare - Light caramel nude

2 - Geo pink - Strawberry pink 

 3 - Pure Magnificence - light grey pink 

4 - Looks like sin - Midtone reddish plum 

 5 - Richly revered - Deep brown plum 

Each Cremesheen glass has a brush applicator 

Retails in the uk for £16 each 

and are uk 2.4ml / usa 0.8 fl oz in amount 

I think that the cremesheen lipglass's are slightly thicker and creamier than the normal lipglass's 

and are more opaque and pigmented

overall they are comfortable to wear on the lips

and if you hate shimmery lipgloss and lipsticks because the shimmer gets left on your lips then you may wish to consider these 

XOXO

My Babyliss beliss hot air styler

Model- Babyliss BE liss ioniceramic 800 hair dryer 

I have had this a few years now, i originally bought the larger version which is shaped like a hairdryer which is specifically for longer length hair but I found it to big and chunky to use and I kept hitting myself on the head with it so I gave it to my sister (who has even longer hair )

and I bought the model for shorter hair which is the one that I am reviewing now 

It is light, easy to handle, and great to use in my thick, long curly hair

you can adjust the end styler and make it a really tight setting so that it can straighten your hair but I dont like the pull on my hair and my hair getting caught in the comb bit so I leave it on a medium setting 

which is Ok since I always go over my hair with my GHDs 

This hair dryer is easy to handle if you always do your own hair like me 

I have been let down by hair dressers so many times that I now even cut my own hair 

The hair dryer has a filter on the back end 

and also has a swivel cord just like the one on my GHD's so I dont tangle and strangle myself with my own hair dryer 

I really like and trust baby liss hair tools 

I think they produced the first retailed hair straightener with the steam attachment which was my first ever hair tool ! 

I thought Id put in a picture of the long hair version in also since this review also covers the be liss 1700w which also comes with a changeable diffuser attachment 

Which hair dryer do you have ?? 

My Babyliss hair dryer

The Babyliss 5385 Ionic dry and shine Hair dryer 

I have now had this hair dryer for a few years although Im not quite sure how many, possibly 4+ years 

and this hairdryer has never let me down 

It comes supplied with a diffuser attachment that is removeable but I always just leave it on 

also you can switch on or off the negative ions to give you smoothness 

there is a hot or cool hear setting too

it is an 1800w power hair dryer 

I prefer to let my hair dry naturally where possible 

but that takes forever since i have very thick and back length long hair 

so there are times when I need my hair dried quick time and thats when this baby comes in 

I do have 2 more hairdryers one is a mini GHD hair dryer reserved for travelling 

and the other is a style straight hair dryer also by babyliss that is good for drying the length of my hair 

I hope this post was interesting 

XOXO

MAC Tan pigment swatches

Mac Pigment in the colour Tan was made famous the day Kim Kardashian wore it all over her eyes on her birthday party

The look can be found on her blog www.kimkardashian.celebuzz.com

and many many more other websites 

Ermm . . . .  its a tan shade metallic pigment

Mac pigments are very highly sought after due to the colour pay off and versatility of these lose pigments.

Mac is known to be very creative with naming their products after all sorts of plants and events and animals and anything etc etc

The day Mac tan pigment was named and released I think mac must have hit the snooze button one time too many 

But I thought Id get the swatch up since I couldnt find any good swatches or reviews 

XOXO

Bobbi brown Pretty Powerful palettes

This is an actual photo of the recent Bobbi Brown pretty powerful palettes which was part of the Bobbi brown pretty powerful campaign 

you may still be able to buy these palettes in some stores 

but be quick if you want them as they are limited edition 

I skipped on these palettes since they are about £40 each and I dont really need one

but I might pick up the pretty palette  if I find it at a cosmetics company outlet store where it might be £10 cheaper :)

Models Own Eye Makeup brushes

My first ever models own purchase!

Can you ever have too many makeup brushes??  -I thought not!
I purchased these because I really wanted to try something from this brand and I know its not makeup but I managed to get them in the buy 2 get 3rd free at boots.

I will do a more in depth review of these brushes for you if you want me to but I thought I should do a quick post on these for anyone that might be interested in trying these specifically or for anyone that is looking for affordable eye makeup brushes.

I think they were about £5 each so the price is quite good
and yes the quality is as good as the price is

there is one angled brush that can be used as liner brush
there is one domed brush not quite a pencil brush but almost as precise
there is one dense and fluffy fluff brush a chunkier version of the mac 213 which is my favourite type of eyeshadow brush since it is so versatile.

What do you have from models own??

XOXO

Mac Semi Precious Haul

Products Purchased 

Pressed amber mineralize blush -limited edition

Lush Amber lipstick -limited edition 

 Golden gaze Mineralize eyeshadow -limited edition

I really did not have any intentions of purchasing anything from this collection since I have bought so many products from previous collections and I feel i have over-hauled 

but I fell in love with pressed amber blush and lush amber lipstick to use as a fuss free lipstick and blush for everyday use since i feel they look good with everything 

I have experimented with them so some looks coming up soon 

XOXO

Mac Lush Amber Lipstick Swatch

Lush Amber is one of Macs latest lipstick shades from the semi precious collection,
It is a gorgeous Natural Nude lipstick shade in a Lustre finish
The colour is a beige slightly golden brown natural liptone shade and can be worn in many different looks either a daytime classic or with a smokey night time or party look
I have already done 2 colourful eye looks that I will be featuring soon where I have used this as my lip colour

If you like Mac lipsticks in Creme d nude, Freckletone and cherish then you may like this!

XOXO

Eco Tools stippling brush

Im sure you have heard of ecotools 

Ecotools makes affordable makeup and cosmetic tools 

the products are cruelty free 

and environmentally friendly 

This stippling brush is good for foundation as it has quite a large top 

The pack says that it is suitable for blush but It spreads out the product more than Id like it to

The brush top is equivalent to a mac 187 brush top 

This makes for a good travelling stippler brush because it has the shorter handle

This brush is quite expensive in the UK at £10 since i think its $8 USD

Do you have any ecotools brushes??

Bare Escentuals Mineral Original Foundation swatches

Shades swatched

Bare Minerals Golden Medium

Bare Minerals Medium Beige

Bare Minerals Medium Tan

Bare Minerals Tan

My Shade is either the light or medium beige 

I have swatched all of the foundations very thickly about 3 layers to make them show up 

I like the light because its made for warmer skin tones as it is yellow based

Golden medium is abit too yellow but can be good to cover up redness 

Medium beige blends in perfectly for light to medium beige tone skins like mine 

I would say Nc25 - Nc30 like me 

medium tan would be good for NC35

and tan would be good for NC40 

There are lihter and darker shades in the range but I do not have these 

Why do I have such a huge range ??

Because when I am out I wear alot of bronzer on my face to match my face to my tanned neckline and hands which get alot of sun and sales assistants are insistent that I am the tan and darker shades but as you can see im clearly the medium beige 

Medium beige also happens to be the best selling shade

Most UK/USA caucasian women also fall under this shade as it can be used winter and summer 

I sometimes use the darker colours as bronzer and contour colours 

The good thing about pure mineral makeup is that it will never go off    !!

so this is a good choice for makeup collectors 

Do you use Bare minerals ??

XOXO

Smokey peach FOTD

Products used 

Face 

Mac select foundation in nc30

Smashbox Halo hydrating powder in light 

Estee Lauder double wear concealer in light 

Sleek Face contour kit in light 

Sleek Avoir le peche blush in Pan Tao

Products used

Eyes 

Mac Prep and prime eye in light

Sleek mineral eyeshadow palette in oh so special no 658

Elf double ended eyebrow pencil

Mac fluid line gel liner in black track

Mac zoom lash mascara on lower lashline 

Pictured products 

Sleek oh so special limited edition palette 

Sleek limited edition blush in Pan Tao

Revlon Colorburst lipstick in peach 075

Sleek face contour palette in light

Swatched products 

Sleek Shadows 

-bow cream shade

-pamper baby peach shade

-Ribbon dark pink peach shade

-Gift basket shimmery bronze brown 

-Celebrate shimmery maroon

-Noir black 

-Pan Tao - peach blush 

-peach - lipstick

-light contour palette bronzer and highlight shade 

I hope you liked this post 

Do you have this or any other sleek palettes?

Would you like some more looks using this palette ?

XOXO

Revlon Colorburst lipstick in peach

I really like the Revlon colorburst lipsticks 

The packaging is very chic with the quilted casing that makes it look very expensive 

also the lipsticks themselves are just the right blend of colour pigment and moisture 

This swatch is for the shade peach 075

which is a darker slightly more orange coral than peach 

but never the less its a very pretty shade 

probably not best for very pale complexions and probably not best for those with orange to red hair shades

but try it if you do fall under these colourings 

It could still work for you if worn the right way 

XOXO

Loreal glam shine lipgloss in nude moon

Loreal Glam shine lipglosses are a high quality high street lipgloss

they come in various different varieties 

from sheer to opaque, and from glossy to glittery 

they now feature a heart shape wand, but I have been using these glosses since they were first launched here in England. 

I mainly prefer the more nude, neutral and natural shades even in the super shimmery formulas. 

Loreal says 

Glam up your pout with Glam Shine lip gloss, in a dazzling array of shades and effects to suit every woman.Whether it is a sparkly look, a pearly look or a holographic look, this range has the perfect shade for any occasion. From corals to For an irresistible pout, the innovative heart-shaped wand captures even more gloss and allows for precise application. Just one sweep is enough to achieve plumped up glamorous looking lips.pinks, nudes to browns and vibrant brights, experiment with your favourite colours.

Im not too sure about the lip plumping properties since I feel that I do have such huge lips anyway 

but never the less I love love love these lip glosses

If I could only ever have 1 brand from the high street lip glosses I think I would choose these 

The colour swatched is from the moonlight collection and is called nude moon no 98

it is the perfect shade in my opinion for any skin colour 

I highly recommend this lipgloss

In case your wondering Im a beige skin tone 

in mac terms im between nc25 to nc30 throughout the year . 

Do you have any of the loreal glam shine lipglosses ? 

let me know if you like this post because I have a collection of these lipglosses and I will post more swatches for you . 

XOXO

Mac pink lipstick swatch in strayin

Strayin is a limited edition lipstick by mac from the hello kitty collection 

it is a bright blue based pink it is similar shade to mac girl about town but not exactly the same 

This lipstick is a frost lipstick

and has some silver glittery shimmer which is most apparent when the lipstick has worn off and you have glittery fine lines in your lips -lol you know what I mean !!

Do you have a similar pink lipstick ?

XOXO

MAC Zoom Lash Mascara

I have the shortest, teeniest, tinyest, stubby lashes in the world, and if that was not bad enough they also stand horizontally straight out.

So in a mascara Im looking for everything basically which means lenghtening, volumising and some curling -Since Im so lazy and forgetful to curl my lashes before mascara application. 

For many years I have sworn by Clinique High impact mascara 

Until I tried MAC Zoom lash mascara  . . . 

I heard alot about this mascara, even Kim kardashian has raved about it, but nothing was enough for me to go and try another mascara since each and every mascara makes so many claims and even the ones over £20 have disappointed me.

I then got a zoom lash mascara as part of the lined and lashed kit and since then this is easily my most purchased mascara.

This mascara adds length, volume, and when applied in an upwards motion and holding the lashes up for 2 seconds with the actual mascara wand it can help to hold a curl.

I apply 1-2 coats, but careful as the second coat starts to give a spidery leg effect and a third coat gives a twiggy effect.

And since mascaras should be replaced regularly it makes sense to use a mascara from MAC as the container is eligible for the back to mac programme.

And the cost of this mascara is not too far off from other high end high street mascaras that I have tried so I really feel that zoom lash is an affordable mascara.

You will like this mascara if you like Loreal telescopic, loreal lash architect, Max factor false lash effect.

Whats your favourite mascara??