The Lip Product Addict Tag

If there is one beauty product I just cannot resist, it is lipstick, and when I saw Amelia Liana and Essie Button's tag video, it was right up my street. I have two embarrassingly full vanity cases full and yet continue to hoard. I adore lipstick because it is a fun way to completely switch up your make-up without changing things that are more difficult to get right. I change what lip products are in my make-up bag weekly as I find it fun to alternate and make sure I get use out of all of them, instead of buying more. However, I have tried enough to know what are permanent winners in my collection and which ones will never leave my make-up bag, so here we go!

1. Favourite balm/treatment
Nivea lip butter in Raspberry Rose. I love this lip butter because it is super buttery and thick which means it really moisturizes your lips. I use this all the time, especially before bed as it really nourishes and my lips never feel dry or chapped. I have gone through a few tins now and keep repurchasing as it works well for me. Other flavours are lovely too, but the smell of this is my favourite. 

2. Best eye-catching red
I don't often wear bright pillar-box red unless it is the festive season, but I love wearing dark shades of red veering on the purple side, such as the much loved Kate Moss 107. My favourite however is Prohibition from Collection's Deluxe range. This shade is a deep, red wine shade which really compliments my skin tone for a great dramatic look. Moreover, the formula of these Deluxe lipsticks are incredible, and are one of my favourite from the drugstore by far. They are super moisturising so would be great if your lips get chapped easily. They are also really pigmented, ridiculously inexpensive and they smell unbelievable. Not to mention the packaging is also super chic and looks a lot more expensive than its £3.99 price tag. 

3. Best luxury and best drugstore
My favourite luxury lipstick is my all-time favourite 'holy grail' lipstick (big claim for a lipstick hoarder I know!) It is Bobbi Brown's Wild Rose which is a mauve style pink. It is a really natural shade but is the nicest pink colour which really livens up a simple, everyday make-up look. I wear this all the time and it never veers too far from my make-up bag. I have to stop myself from using it too often as it is quickly running out. This is the kind of shade which if in doubt of what to wear, I will go to this as it fail-safe. The rich formula is wonderful as it lasts a long time and is incredibly pigmented. I think this kind of tone looks gorgeous with pale skin, although it is the kind of mid-pink which will look amazing on any skin type as it is not too pale. I often dab this on for a soft effect, but it builds up easily to a really nice deep pink which looks great for evening. Every time I wear this I just feel sophisticated, it is that type of elegant shade and is worth it's more expensive price tag.
As from the drugstore, it is another shade from Collection's Deluxe range. This shade Tallulah is a really soft, baby pink without looking too 'Barbie'. The creamy formula and beautiful shade is a winning combination. Again, this is another shade which you can slap on without thinking about as it always looks lovely. It looks great everyday or especially gorgeous paired with a really smoky eye to balance things out.

4. Best MAC lipstick
I only own one MAC lipstick so far but it is the most beautiful and unique shade, and that is Rebel. This is my favourite autumn/winter shade as it such a stand out one. It stays put for a stupidly long time- literally without budging until you decide it is coming off. It wins the award for most long lasting lipstick hands down, you can read my full post here. 

5. The most disappointing
In my opinion it has to be the Lancome Juicy Tubes. These are by far the stickiest gloss I have ever encountered. Granted, lip glosses are often slightly tacky that is just their formula, but these are a new level as it is literally like glue. If you smack your lips together they will pull apart with difficulty- yes that is how bad we are talking. It does leave a super glossy finish but the formula is not worth the hassle, and certainly not the price.

6. Liner- yes/no?
I don't wear liner on the regular but when I want my lipstick to last for a really long time, or if I am going for a super bold shade such as red, I will line my whole lips with this Illusion Nude Lip Liner from Model co. It is the perfect nude which looks great alone, but can be layered underneath any shade to really lock things in place. But for everyday, I would say if the lipstick has great staying power anyway, liner is non-essential. 

7. Best Gloss
My favourite comes from Revlon in the shade Bellini, a lovely peach toned nude which has a really subtle shimmer running through. It looks great alone to create a really natural, glamorous look a la Kim K. This is my favourite to wear with a really smoky evening eye as it really softens things and ties the look together. The formula is slightly sticky but is one of the better ones I have found- more than bearable put it that way and nothing akin to Lancome's juicy tubes.

8. Something Extra
Finally, I couldn't do a lip product post without mentioning that of Revlon Lip Butters- a great moisturising formula that remains pigmented and adds a subtle pop of colour- a perfect way to get into more adventurous shades without being too dramatic. They have a great colour range too to experiment with, and is the perfect easy option which can be thrown on like a balm. My favourite shade is Raspberry Pie, fairly similar to MAC's Rebel if you really build it up. What's great is that they are surprisingly pigmented which allows you to achieve that full lipstick effect with a slightly glossy finish, or else you can softly dab it on to create a really pretty and natural flush. 

Hope you guys enjoyed this tag, be sure to link me if you have done it too!

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

Bronze Smoky Eye

One of my favourite looks from the Naked 3 palette is a golden bronze smoky eye. I think this look is particularly gorgeous because it is quite different to the more pinky toned shades in the palette, yet is still just as soft and pretty. To begin I used one of my favourite eye products ever, everyone's favourite Maybelline's colour tattoo in 'On and On Bronze'. I then swept the shade 'factory' all over the lid and up to the crease. I then used 'darkside' to blend into the crease and paying attention to the outer corner to create an extended effect. Then just clean everything up with a cotton bud to even out and make sure there are no harsh lines or fall out. I then went in with 'mugshot' blending this into the centre of the lid. On a small brush I mixed shades 'factory' and 'darkside' gently under the lower lashline to balance everything out. As a highlight, instead of using something cream toned as I usually opt, I went for the copper gold shade 'trick' to still draw attention to this part of the eye and make the eye look wider. As these shadows can produce some fall out, especially 'trick' which is super glittery, I would advise following up with concealer after the eye make-up as opposed to doing it before so you don't ruin your face make-up. As standard I went in with two trusty favourites, my collection liquid liner and Maybelline The Rocket mascara.

Hope you like the look, and what are your favourite looks from the Naked 3 palette?

xox

My Go-To Evening Make-up Look Using Urban Decay NAKED 3 Palette

To create this evening look using the Naked 3 palette, I started by using a cream shadow base to make sure everything stayed in place all night. I used my Maybelline Color Tattoo in the shade 'Pink Gold', which I am absolutely loving at the moment as it works beautifully on its own for a natural effect, but also acts brilliantly as a base, giving the eye shadow something to cling onto. Next, using the palette, I took the shade 'Limit' using the flat shader brush from the palette, swiping this across the lid up to the crease. I then swept 'Nooner' through the crease to add definition. Then I took one of my favourite shades, 'Dust', and swept this over 'limit', paying particular attention to the center and inner part of the eye to create a brightening effect. I then used the darkest shade in the palette, 'Blackheart', using the fluffy side of the brush and swept this across the crease for added definition, paying particular attention to the outer corner of the eye to create an eye-opening, winged effect. I then blended the edges with a clean brush and repeated to build up the pigment for intensity. Next, I cleaned up the edges using a cotton bud to make sure everything was even and clean looking. I then went in with the highlighting shade, 'Strange', and applied this to the tear duct and brow bone for extra brightness, balancing out the smoky eye. 

All that was left for the eyes was for me to use my trusty liquid liner from Collection, and lashings of mascara- my choice for this look was The Rocket Volum' Express from Maybelline, which is great for creating that false lash effect. I would advise getting the waterproof version as this prevents any smudging whatsoever and is super long lasting. On my waterline I used a new product which I am trying out from Too Faced, their waterproof eyeliner in 'Perfect Peacock', a beautiful turquoise shade to add something a bit different to the look instead of classic black kohl which would create a harsher effect. Hope you like the look and I will be bringing you my everyday make-up look using this palette soon!

Lucy

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