MAC Tropical Taboo - Adored Mineralise Skinfinish

Ello lovelies!

MAC Mineralise Skinfinishes are probably some of the most lusted after items in any their releases. My collection is extremely modest (i only have three now including this one) as i really only use MSF's for highlighter and there are only so many highlighters one girl can use, right? There are five MSF's featured in this collection, two permanent and three limited edition shades. Soft and Gentle is also promoted in this collection too (although permanent) which is my all time favourite highlighter, you can check the review out for that here.

 

I'm a little bit late on the review bandwagon with these but am happy to say ALL shades are still available on both the MAC and Debenhams websites, so still a chance to get your paws on them.

Adored is described as "Coral with a light beige pearl" which for once i actually agree with the description. Mines a bit more beige than i would of liked meaning even on my fair skin this only works as a highlighter. Being an NW13 (I'm a little darker due to this mysterious UK heatwave currently) i really can't say i could see this working as a blush on any skin tones, its just too light.

It doesn't really have any colour pay off, just gives a sheer corally-beige sheen to the skin, perfect as a highlighter. Its taken me so long to review this because i honestly keep forgetting about it! Its been in my makeup basket for a good few weeks and i just keep reaching for Soft and Gentle, which says it all really.

Priced at £22.50 these aren't the cheapest products but you do get 10g of product, I've been using my other two nearly every day and I'm yet to see a dent so these really will last a long, long time.

I found this an extremely hard product to photograph swatches for, as you can see it is a very sheer colour when blended out and barely shows up on my skin tone. It does however work beautifully as a highlight shade, but it isn't my favourite. Soft and Gentle needs hiding so i can get some good use out of this!

Overall if you're an MSF fan this might be one to check out. But as this is really only viable as a highlighter if you have Soft and Gentle i don't think its a necessity.

You can check Adored and the other four MSF's in this collection out here.

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xox

IMATS London 2013 - The Pictures

 

 Ello lovelies! 

So yesterday i had the hard task of dragging my bum out of bed extraordinarily early (4am to be exact) and hop on a train to London to visit this years London IMATS show. Oh its a hard life.... ha.

This was my second year attending the event and last year for me was all about the shopping! This year i wanted to take in more of what the show had to offer and spend a lot more time watching and enjoying some of the magnificent artistry on show. Oh, and do a little shopping of course. Unfortunately this year my partner in makeup related crimes is currently working in Florida (i know, how selfish right? :P ) but luckily good ol' Mum stepped in and offered to come with me for the day. Thanks Mum!

Because of our super early train times we arrived pretty early and were near the front of the queue. We managed to get most of our shopping done by 11pm due to sticking more or less to my prepared shopping list. I really do not like having a budget lol. There were a couple of minor disappointments on the day, Bobbi Brown were only selling to customers with a pro card, which to me seemed a little silly. Secondly Nars only had a small selection of products on sale, although having their whole range on display. I think this was due to only having a relatively small booth so they obviously couldn't stock the whole range, but to make up for this the stock they did have was significantly discounted (around 50%), so i gots me some bargains! I spent my last few hours there taking in the stunning artistry on show and as you can see from the pictures, it certainly didn't disappoint! I even managed to see Terry Barber from MAC work his magic on the main stage, but due to camera fails I was only able to grab a quick Instagram pic of his work.

I'll be posting a separate haul of all the goodies i purchased on the day

because this post is already huge with all the gorgeous makeup i snapped, enjoy!

We don't have a MAC store in Southampton, so this got me a little excited to say the least!

Oh Parian Spirit, why you smell so good?

Karla Powell MUA doing her thing at the Crown Brush booth! I wasn't around for the finished look but if you follow her on Instagram you would of seen her pop art inspired masterpiece. I really do love her work!

I managed to completely resist Inglot this year....

 

LOOK AT THOSE SHOES! (My bad for the blurry pic, but they were amazing!)

So that's all my snaps for the day. How amazing are those looks!?

Did you go to IMATS this year?

Feel free to link me your posts/hauls, i love a good nosey!

Up next, the haul...

xox

MAC Lipstick Collection

Hey lovelies!

As theres still a few days left on my Blogiversary Giveaway i thought I'd share with you my MAC Lipstick collection. MAC lipsticks are some of my all time favourite lip products and I've accumulated quite a few over the last few years. Although I'm more of a matte girl, i love the variety of finishes MAC offer as there really is something for everyone!

A few are sadly limited edition, but MAC tends to re-promote popular shades every so often, so if there is a LE shade that takes your fancy remember to keep your eyes peeled for future collections. I'm really enjoying corals as the weather (yet unpredictable) is getting warming so Vegas Volt, Watch Me Simmer and Ablaze are my three current favourites.

 

Hue is probably the one MAC lipstick in my collection that I can just not pull off, its such a shame since its such a popular shade but lightly applied it just doesn't show up and heavily applied looks milky and gives me ghost face. Sigh. Pink Burst (LE) is one of my all time favourite pinks, I managed to pick this beauty up at a CCO a while back and am eagerly waiting for it to be (hopefully) re-promoted soon. Its a shade i haven't heard much about in the blogging world but i absolutely adore it!

I bloomin' love corals! Like i mentioned earlier Vegas Volt and Watch Me Simmer are two of my all time favourite Spring / Summer picks. Plumful is a recent addition to my collection and is gorgeous for day time wear! Rebel is my all time favourite Winter lippie! Its such a gorgeous, vampy, purpley, berry shade which makes it perfect for the cooler months. Its also so flattering on a wide variety of skin tones.

Oh Wonder Woman collection, why you have to sell out before i could grab anything good?! Russian Red is a permanent shade which i annoyingly haven't got much use out of as it just doesn't look right on me, i think Ruby Woo, or even RiRi Woo if i can catch it in stock in the future might be my next addition. These last four are all limited edition, sorry! I just couldn't resist the Fashion Set lipsticks. Bright and matte?! I just had to have them as I've not been drawn to any of the permanent line mattes. 

As you can see, I'm a sucker for a MAC lippie!

Have you entered my Blogiversary Giveaway? You could win a MAC lipstick of your choice!

What are your favourite shades?

xox

FOTD: Instapose

Ello lovelies!

Today is the first day in nearly a week I've worn a full face of makeup! With uni deadlines I've been spending most of my time sat in my pj's at the computer, sexy eh? But today I was due for a change! I actually switched up from my usual liquid liner combo and tried a more smokey liner using Urban Decay's Perversion and Sugarpill's Bulletproof and i was quite pleased with the results. I also got a chance to have a good ol' play about with my new brushes so I'll have an exciting review up for you soon!



Products used:

Inglot - Shine 42 Eyeshadow, Urban Decay - Perversion Eyeliner, Sugarpill - Bulletproof Liner, Benefit - They're Real Mascara, Anastasia - Brow Powder Duo, Nars - Sheer Glow Foundation, Nars - Laguna Bronzer, MAC - Fix +, Tarte - Tipsy Blush, MAC - Soft and Gentle, Jack Black - Lip Balm.

Have you been switching up your routine lately?

Let me know!

xox

The Week of Hauls... #3 MAC Cosmetics

Its the last one, i promise!
(for a little while at least...)

I've had my heart set on some new MAC goodies for a while now, but common sense has always told me i didn't "need" them. Well i ran out of common sense and splurged a little bit! I got the majority from Debenhams with 10% off (which is still on right now) so i won't include prices.

Fix +
This is a back up as I'm quite a way through my current one. I included this in my Winter Favourites post, so check that out for more info on it.

Studio Fix Fluid NW13
Another one included in my Winter Favourites (I'm on a bit of a MAC kick lately). They have recently extended their Studio Fix shade range (hurruh!!) to include a few deeper or in my case lighter shades. I adore my NW15, but have to mix it with my Illamsqua Skin Base unless i have tan on. I had a sample of NW10 which was surprisingly too light for me so i picked up this little beauty.

Strobe Cream (travel size)
I've wanted to try this for a little while so finally took the plunge. My plan is to mix it with my studio fix fluid when i want a more radiant look. I plan to do a full review on it soon!

Plumful Lipstick

Nobody ever has enough MAC lipsticks, right? Plumful is a shade I'd had my eye on for a while. You'll probably see this in a FOTD sooner or later as its a right gem.

168 Brush
Its significantly smaller than i had expected as i am used to my slightly battered Sigma version of this brush. But the size makes it perfect for contouring and it is SO soft! Can't wait to give these a try.

217 Brush

I don't think i really need to say much about this, do i? I had to finally own one.

239 Brush

Another cult favourite brush. I suppose it was time to upgrade from my Elf shader brushes...

208 Brush

I love me a good brow brush. First impression though, I'm a little underwhelmed as it doesn't seem to be as good a quality of the others. Time and testing will tell i guess!


Phew, so thats it for my hauls. *fingers crossed*

 

What have you been hauling lately?

 

xox

MAC - Soft and Gentle MSF - Review

Heya Lovelies!

Got another review of one of my Christmas pressies for you lovely lot today. I only own one other MAC MSF and thats Lightscapade, and back when i first reviewed it was pretty underwhelmed. But since my initial review I've used it on an almost daily basis, its so subtle but highlights my cheekbones so well, i absolutely love it! I was pleased as punch when i opened this on Christmas day as it was top of my wishlist, it goes to show that boyfriends do listen... occasionally. Theres a big difference in how these perform so i thought I'd do a full review on this little beauty for ya.

Soft and Gentle is a gorgeous bronzey peach MSF and packs more of a punch than Lightscapade. When first swatched, it looks a little scary and i was a bit worried it wouldn't work on my fair skintone, luckily i was wrong! Applied with a light hand this product looks absolutely beautiful on the skin, a little more out there than I'd wear on  a daily basis but for nights out, this is my now highlighter of choice.

 Because of how well is sheers out i think it would work well on a whole host of skin tones, I'm pretty damn happy it works on even my Casper-like complexion! Not normally a fan of frost like finishes in face products but i had to admit i really adore the finish, it highlights beautifully without emphasising pores or any bad skin. Just makes the skin look beautifully radiant, although it is easy to over do it, so a light hand is definitely recommend. Priced at £21.50 these aren't the cheapest, but you get a whopping 10g of product so i don't think i can ever see myself having to purchase another one. You just need a smidge of product for the perfect application, so this will probably last me a lifetime.

If you're a highlight fiend like myself, or just fancy adding a bit more glow to your routine i highly recommend having a looky at this little gem. Luckily for my bank balance there are only two permanent MSF's currently, but MAC do release some gorgeous limited edition shades quite frequently, so if this looks like too much frost for you, keep your eye out for a Lightscapade release.

Whats your favourite MAC MSF?

xox

FOTD: Baby Its Cold Outside

Hey Lovelies!

Its officially two more sleeps until Christmas, eeee! I'm a tad bit excited if you can't already tell. I had a bit of a pamper day Saturday and decided to try out quite a few of the new goodies i picked up lately. And after battling with my camera trying desperately to capture the AMAZING Lit glitter i used, this was the best shot i could get, it does not do it even nearly enough justice. I also gave my Dinair airbrush system another bash, its definitely not perfect but i was pretty happy with the end results. Its really easy to go from not being able to see it to BAM too much, I'll get the hang of it eventually. I plan to do a full review on most of the new products used in this soon and hopefully *fingers crossed* be able to get a decent picture of the glitter, it is absolutely STUNNING.

Eyes:
MUA - Eye Primer
MAC - Vanilla, Omega and Phloof! Eyeshadows
Lit - Clearly Liquid Glitter Base
Lit - Champagne Wishes Glitter
Elf - Black Liquid Eyeliner
Makeup Forever - Smoky Lash Mascara
Anastasia - Brow Powder Duo

Lips:
YSL - Rouge Pur Couture The Mats Lipstick in 203
(I may actually be in love with this lipstick)

Face:
Darling Girl - About Face Velvet Gel Primer
Dinair - Airbrush Foundation
Laura Mercier - Secret Brightening Powder
Mac - Sculpting Powder in Sculpt
Mac – Lightscapade
The Balm - Frat Boy Blush  

(around 50 shots of my eye and this is the best i could get... boo!)

I've found three new products that I've fallen head over heals for; The YSL lipstick, Lit Glitters (need moar now) and my Dinair system. So needless to say i am one happy blogger right now.

Have you tried any of these products?

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

xox