Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Gloss: Captivating Ruby

I received this gloss in a free gift package a few months back and have lately been putting it to the test. It is essentially a vivid gloss with strong colour pigment that leaves a stain after the gloss wears off, which it does after a few hours. First of all, I love this red colour as it is as bright as reds come which I find most flattering and vibrant. One can not be a wallflower and wear a shade like this, which is great as it really makes you stand out which inspires confidence. It goes on really smoothly, but due to the bright shade it takes a careful application; sadly it is not one of those glosses that can be just thrown on without looking. Once it is on however, it is a great statement lip and does last a solid couple of hours. Word of warning though, if you are eating/drinking the gloss holds up for less time. Once the gloss has faded, a more subtle red shade is left which is nice if you want a more natural look. It is not akin to Rimmel Apocalips in the sense that it stays on forever without having to apply it again, but it gets my thumbs up in terms of how it looks. I think this is a lovely statement summer look combining a beaut red shade with a super glossy finish which is perfect for tanned, sun kissed skin. As for longevity, I have tried better staying glosses but having to apply it a few more times throughout the night is worth the lustrous look it gives. What's more, it isn't at all sticky which is always a winner in my opinion as there is nothing worse than a lip gloss hair situation. I will be wearing this non stop throughout my holiday this week, and you can get your hands on it for £7.99, a fairly standard price for this type of product; I couldn't be happier receiving it for free and I probably would purchase it regardless of that.

Have you guys tried any glosses from this range?

xox

What's In My Summer Make-Up Bag?

Base:
In summer a primer for me is essential to make things last as long as possible in the summer heat. I have been using Maybelline's Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser for a while now and, although I don't find it as good as Benefit's Porefessional, it does a fairly good job of evening out my skin. It has a lovely silky texture and does provide a nice base for foundation, but as for making the make up last a super long time I'm not as convinced. My foundation of choice this season is L'Oreal True Match which is just wonderful, my favourite foundation as of yet. I find the texture perfect, it goes over dry patches and lasts a long time, and what's more they have a great colour range. Of course, I do get oily throughout the day but I keep this under control with Maybelline's The Matte Maker which is a really nice solid translucent pressed powder. As for concealer, I use Collection Lasting Perfection no matter what season as it is my all time favourite. I use the lightest shade for concealing under my eye area, and the medium shade works brilliantly at covering blemishes and scars. 



Face:
For bronzer, I've tried to switch things up from my usual Body Shop Honey bronzer (which is unbelievable!) and I have found a new love with L'Oreal Glam Bronze. Although the picture above looks slightly orange, that is due to slight editing in saturation it is actually a really natural tan colour. I love using this all around my face for a tanned glow. I use the lightest shade in 00 Blond Sun which I think would be a great shade for pale-medium skin tones as it looks most natural. A long with this I like to switch up to cream blush in summer for a nice dewy and long lasting finish. Max Factor Miracle Touch cream blush in the shade Soft Pink is divine. It blends out really easily and creates a nice sheen on the skin. I finish this combination off with a dash of Soap & Glory's Glow All Out Luminizing Radiance Face Powder for a soft, really gentle highlight.

Eyes:
For summer, Urban Decay's Naked 2 Palette is simply gorgeous. It has all the bronze shades you could possibly want, and I have not used another palette at all this season, even Naked 3 has been neglected. I have been particularly obsessed with the beautiful golden shade,everyone's favourite, Half Baked,as well as Bootycall for an inner corner highlight, and Foxy across the browbone. The staying power and pigment of these shadows is brilliant but I still use a base to last all day, using either my fail safe Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and on Bronze, or Rimmel ScandalEyes Shadowstick in 002 Bulletproof Beige. For eyeliner I've been enjoying using Eyeko's Skinny liquid liner which I received in Glamour magazine. It is super intense in colour and I find the felt tip applicator really easy to use. As for mascara, I need waterproof in the summer and I particularly love using Max Factor's Clump Defy, and then Maybelline's The Rocket to create super volumised lashes that will last all day. 

Brows:
For brows, my routine has stayed the same for a while now and I'm planning a new brow guide as I am really happy with this High Brow kit from Beauty UK. This kit has everything needed to achieve a perfect brow, wax to shape and then three shadows. I follow this up with Maybelline's Brow Drama Mascara to keep everything in place and find that this lasts all day and creates a perfectly shaped brow.

Lips:
For lips I have been loving red this summer. I think it looks great with bronzed skin and golden eye make-up, which is pretty much been my standard look. For a casual day I will wear Maybelline Baby Lips in the shade Cherry Me for a natural tint, or Revlon's Lip Butter in the shade Wild Watermelon. Both leave a lovely hint of colour in a slightly pinky red shade, with a nice glossy effect which I adore for summer. For an evening look I will pair Max Factor's gloss in the shade 30 Captivating Ruby. This is seriously pigmented alone but when paired a colour underneath it gives a lovely rich effect with lasting colour. 

Hope your all having a wonderful summer!

xox

Summer Lipstick Picks

Now I am a fan of a bold lip pretty much all year round, but summer is certainly the best time to try a more adventurous bright lip as it is always on trend. These are my pick of the best daring shades to really make you stand out this season. The Revlon colorburst lip butters are pretty much a firm favourite with most beauty junkies. They are the perfect combination of a lipstick and balm; good enough colour pay off yet still moisturizing which is why they are perfect for summer. My favourite summer shade is 063 Wild Watermelon, a really nice muted red that borderlines the pink shade of things. It is really easy to apply, just like a balm and has fairly good staying power too, leaving your lips with a glossy finish which I love for summer. Another winner from Revlon is a firm love of mine, Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in the shade 020 Lovesick. This is one of the best staying lip products I have ever came across,(there is still a mark on my arm where I struggled to get all this swatch off). I wore this non stop on holiday of an evening and didn't even have to take it out with me to top up. The bright fuchsia is just perfect for this season, not to mention how great it compliments a tan. Next is a shade that I am only brave enough to wear this season, Maybelline's colorsensational in 902 Fuchsia Flash. It is the brightest of pinks, much more Barbie than lovesick which is why I find it less wearable. It is super pigmented however and lasts a long time too, not to mention how amazing these lipsticks smell! Another favourite again comes from Revlon, and it is their lip gloss in the shade 046 Sizzle, a great orange shade which is still quite wearable as it verges on the red side of things. I love wearing this over the top of a bright coral or red shade to really make it stand out. These lip glosses from Revlon have amazing pigment for a lip gloss, albeit they are slightly sticky. Next is Max Factor in the shade 830 Dusky Rose, a muted pink with shimmer which again, looks wonderful with tanned skin. I adore Max Factor lipsticks because they are extremely creamy in formula, not at all drying and they last a long time with a finish that is not at all matte which I quite like for summer. Finally is a super bold shade from Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate, in the shade 110. This is a shockingly bright coral red, which again I find looks at its best with a tanned glow. I wore this non stop on my holiday as I feel it brightens up any look, even if you have fairly downplayed makeup this will make you stand out. These matte lipsticks also have unbelievable staying power which i find to be one of the most important factors of a summer lipstick. This shade looks beautiful paired with the lip gloss in Sizzle. 

xox

Current 'Holy Grail' Products

So seen as I have been M.I.A for a seriously long time, I feel like a post on my current favorites is more than overdue. Instead of doing an explicit favorites post, these are a select few items which I literally could not be without in my make-up bag; all items which I would repurchase over and over again, so-called 'holy grail' products if you like. I have been using all of these for at least 3 months, hence I have thoroughly tested them and can honestly vouch for them.

Let's start with the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. I got this at Christmas as a gift and I was literally so overjoyed. I was desperate to do a post on it and share my love but without a camera or a phone with a flash, that was pretty difficult. I am sure by this point everybody is sick and tired of hearing how amazing the much anticipated Naked 3 palette is and I'm fairly confident that the majority of bloggers/YouTubers out there own this thing and already know how wonderful it is, but if you haven't got your hands on it yet, what are you waiting for?! The quality of these shadows is unparalleled which I am sure goes without saying, one swipe offers super strong pigmentation and incredible staying power, which for £37 for 12 shadows, in comparison with around £12 for just one MAC shade, is a no brainer. It truly is as good as people say and I must have used it more or less every day I've worn make-up since I got it, evening or daytime. It is simply the most stunning palette ever, and my favorite out of the three of them by a country mile. Shortly after Christmas I brought the Naked 2 to complete my set as I heard that it was many people's favorite out of the three, but for me this is my perfect palette. Literally if I had to customize my own palette, i'm pretty sure it would look something like this, pink and sparkly, yet surprisingly wearable. Out of the 12 shades, all but 3 are shimmery, but the 3 matte shades are all you need to create the perfect smoky eye. Although the pinkness of the palette might put some people off, the shades are so muted and neutral that they are extremely wearable, yet they add such a unique element to your make-up look which makes you look refined and polished, with an edge. I find this is a really sophisticated day-time look; my favorite day-to-day is to use limit across the lid, then blend nooner into the crease, finished with strange in the inner corner and brow bone. It is by no means overpowering or too heavy, yet it seriously adds something to the everyday face with such minimal effort. As for the evening, my favorite is to do pretty much the same but with blackheart blended into the crease for a more dramatic and glamorous look. I will be doing posts soon featuring my favorite looks from this palette, so stay peeled for that! 

Before I forget that this post is not just about the Naked 3 palette, I'll move on to the best bronzer ever. This is the Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder from The Body Shop, and it is seriously the best one I've ever tried, so much so that I find it impossible to go back to anything else. The thing that makes this so wonderful is how incredibly natural it makes you look, literally giving you the feeling of having just been in the natural sun. It comes in 4 shades, and I have the third one, yet even the fourth shade is not too dark. This bronzer is completely matte which is perfect for contouring, and literally a beautiful tan color which never looks orange. Unless you have super fair skin, I would recommend going for shade 3 which isn't too dark at all; no matter how much you apply, it still just looks like that perfect after-holiday tanned glow. I've almost hit pan on mine now which is exciting because I never normally love bronzers as much as this, and at £13 I think this is totally worth it. 

My favorite blush these days is the Rose Gold blush from Sleek, which as you can see in the image above, is super beautiful. To me, this just screams spring/summer. It is a pinky peach tone with golden flecks of shimmer, a shade which I only whip out normally this time of year. The pigmentation of Sleek blushers is unreal, the best I have tried from the drugstore for sure. Due to the highlighting effect which is super pretty in the daylight, highlighter is not necessary, yet unlike a lot of blushers that have shimmer, this still retains that pop of color which makes it an absolute steal at just £4.49. 

My favorite lipstick not only right now, but possibly ever (big claim I know), is the Collection Deluxe lipstick in 02 Talullah. I wear this literally every day. It is the perfect every day pink, your lips but better shade. I whack this on no matter what make-up I have on purely because I know it will go beautifully. Not only in the day, this goes stunningly with a dramatic smoky eye, I particularly love wearing this with my nighttime take on the Naked 3 palette. The formula of these lipsticks is seriously a winner, another favorite of mine during the winter holidays was prohibition from the same line, they are super nourishing and smooth, creamy and pigmented which is a rare combination which reminds me very much of MAC cremesheen lipsticks. At £3.99, this is an absolute gem. And they smell wonderful which always makes me happy!

Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer is the best concealer ever. I'm actually convinced, and I don't want to even try others which are undoubtedly much more expensive, purely because this works so well, and at just £4.19 it is seriously under priced! I have been using this for so long now, I have the lightest shade for under my eyes which is so good at brightening and concealing dark circles, and then I have the second shade for any redness/blemishes/scars and all that nasty stuff. If you haven't tried this yet go for it, I swear you won't need to use another concealer again. 

I am also pretty sure that I have found my favorite mascara. This is a big deal because I must change my mascara every time one runs out. It is Max Factor's Masterpiece Max High Volume & Definition Mascara. The length this gives my lashes is seriously unbeatable, so much so that numerous people think they are false, totally worth it for £9.99. This tube is running out and I will be repurchasing it for sure. 

Another great discovery is Maybelline's Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara. I always used to just use clear mascara to shape and keep my brows intact, but this is so much better because not only does it do this, but it adds a tiny bit of color to make them more defined and set my powder in place. Such a winner at £4.99 as well!

Finally, I went back to my old favorite liquid eyeliner. I had been using gel for a while but I found it more smudgy and messy to work with, whereas I find liquid liner more slick and sophisticated, with better staying power. My all time favorite is Collection's Fast Stroke eyeliner. Wow, Collection are seriously on it because this stuff is insane. It is blacker than black, thick and totally opaque. You don't have to keep building it for intensity, just a few swipes and you have the perfect cat eye. This is actually what helped me learn how to perfect liquid liner due to the super precise nib which is the perfect thickness and really easy to control. If you are a beginner at liner or if you just find it tricky, seriously grab your hands on this! At £2.99, I will be buying this for life.

XO

Brown Smokey Eye Look

Hey guys!

So last night I went to a friend's 18th party, and I thought it was a great opportunity to wear my favorite evening make up look ever- a classic brown smokey eye. I think this look is a brilliant take on the smokey eye because it is a lot less intense than the conventional black, a lot more subtle and glamorous, very much in the style of Kim Kardashian I think!

This look is all centered around the eye, complemented with flawless skin, bronzed sculpted cheeks and a paired nude lip.

To get this look I used the following products (In order of applying):

• No7 mousse foundation (discontinued- sorry!)
• Lacura concealer pen and Rimmel hide the blemish concealer 
• No7 translucent powder and Rimmel stay matte powder 
• MUA brown shadow in shade 19 for brows
• Frontcover eye primer
• MUA palette in 'Heaven and Earth'- (third shade bottom row), (first shade top row)
• No7 palette brown metallic shade
• Maybelline gel liner
• Max Factor liquid effect eye pencil in 'Brown Blaze'
• MAC Opulash mascara
• No7 mini mascara for bottom lashes
• Sleek blusher in 'Sahara'
• Sleek blusher in 'Pixie Pink'
• Benefit High Beam
• Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in shade 'Sky Line Pink'
• Soap and Glory 'Sexy Mother Pucker' clear lipgloss

OR///

• Rimmel lipstick in 'Diva Red'

For the eyes, the first step for any eye make up look using a lot of shadow, is to prime. This is a really important step to stop your eye shadow from slipping and creasing, especially if you have oily eyelids. I would like to point out that my eye make up stayed on all night right up until I took it off, still looking perfect thanks to the primer. I also think the MUA shadows are really good for staying put, and the price is insane at £4 for a palette of 12 shadows! After you've done this with your favorite primer (mine is from Frontcover cosmetics), layer the lightest colour of shadow all across the lid, taking it onto the tear duct, into the crease, and faintly up to the brow bone. Next, taking your dark brown shade, take this through the crease and out slightly. Then take a clean brush to blend so there is no harsh lines. Then apply a light shimmery colour on the brow bone, and blend again into the dark shadow to create a seamless effect. Taking this highlighter onto the tear duct will really bring out your eyes too. 

For bronzer, (I used a Sleek blusher), find the hollow of your cheeks- just below your cheekbone- and using light, circular motions blend onto the skin, taking care to not extend this line too much. Then pop a pretty light pink blusher (Pixie Pink is perfect for this) and put this on the apple of your cheeks, (the easiest way to find this is to smile, and its the most raised part) so you get a more natural combination of bronzer and colour.

I used a light lipstick for this look as I wanted the eyes to be the main focus, however it also suits a really chic bold red lip if you dare to do so, just make sure you wear it with confidence!

What's on my nails?

I applied this black nail varnish with this 'Yellow Topaz Glitter' as a top coat from Barry M, on New Years Eve. And it is still on! I think that's pretty impressive, it hasn't even chipped! This just goes to show that if you apply a top coat it really helps keep your polish intact for much longer. A pretty sparkly one like this also adds a new dimension to the nails, much more exciting than a clear one whilst still bringing the same glossy finish. 

 What is your favorite glamorous evening make up look?

xxx

My 6 Favourite Festive Lipsticks

Not only are these some of my all time favourite excellent quality lipsticks that are great any time of year, but they are the most beautiful colours for the festive season- which isn't over yet! The winter season is perfect for sporting this kind of bold lip, whether you go for deep, sultry purple, or that classic chic bold red.They also all have brilliant staying power because the swatches were really hard to get off my arm afterwards!

 From left to right: 

1. No7 Moisture Drench lipstick in shade 75 'Sugar Plum'

2. Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in shade 500 'Diva Red'

3. Max Factor in shade 830 'Dusky Rose'

4. Sleek Matte lipstick in shade 783 'Mystic'

5. No7 Moisture Drench lipstick in shade 120 'Siren'

6. MAC Mattene lipstick in 'Rare Exotic' 

A top tip for applying this kind of dark lip is to use a fine lip synthetic lip brush for a really precise finish to line the lips and perfect your natural shape. Then use the lipstick straight from the bullet, particularly darkening the center of the bottom lip to make them appear as full as possible. Add a tiny bit of highlighter just above your cupids bow to draw attention to your lips.