Make up to break up

MUA MINI MAKE UP HAUL

After reading countless blog posts on various make up bits from MUA I've become a little less sceptical and decided to try a few pieces out. Cheap make up isn't really my thing but you can find  decent pieces likes these three which don't ruin your bank account! For me, MUA is like the Primark of the make up world - if you look hard you can find some amazing things.   The three products I bought were: Undress your skin Shimmer Highlighter, Pro-Base conceal and brighten kit and Undress me too eyeshadow palette, the latter being the one I have wanted for a while. The trio cost me a tiny £7.50 as it's 3 for 2 in Superdrug right now instead of being £10.50. I think it's a pretty fair price to say all of these are pretty large products. MUA is famed for it's £1 products. 

First up is the shimmer highlighter (£3). I normally tend to go for liquid highlighters and at the moment I use VIE liquid highlighter with  pink and gold highlighters - similar to highbeam and moonbeam by Benefit. I have been looking for a powder highlighter for a while now and this one ticks all my boxes. If I'm highlighting, I prefer a shimmery pink over gold and this one is the perfect mix. It's extremely pigmented for a drugstore product and does the job perfectly. I dust it over my cheekbones and tried it over my cupids bow and bridge of my nose too. It's so shimmery. I'm not massively enticed to this product by the packaging but all in all it's a good product.

                       

 I have read countless blog posts and watched back to back video tutorials which use the Urban Decay Naked  2 palette and the end result is always amazing, but I really cannot justify spending £36 on an eyeshadow palette, especially when I hardly use eyeshadow! A lot of people seem to be comparing this MUA undress me too palette as a dupe for Naked 2 - I obviously can't make the comparison but it does look pretty similar. At £4 you can't go wrong. Undress me too features 12 eyeshadows ranging from soft neutrals to natural gold metallics and also includes a black. It also gives you an idea for a look on the back too. Some shades are matte and others are shimmery, complimenting each other well. As someone with green eyes, this palette is so perfect for me. The shadows are quite powdery on application but I don't think it's anything a good eyeshadow primer could sort out! The shadows are all well pigmented too. There isn't a shade a don't like in this palette but my favourites are probably Devotion (top 2nd) , Shy (top 3rd) and Fiery (top 4th). I love this product already and really really recommend this. I think MUA also do a palette called 'Undressed' which is like Urban Decay's original 'Naked' palette which I might purchase soon! 

                        

Finally is the PRO-BASE conceal and brighten kit. It features 2 concealers, one slightly darker and one slightly lighter and also has a pinky highlighter. The concealers are very creamy and seem to give a good coverage covering dark circles - I'm yet to try it over redness/spots. The highlighting cream is  shimmery and glides onto your skin. Personally, I don't have that many problems with dark circles or spots, but this product does work really well. It's a convenient little product which you can put in your bag and use to touch up throughout the day. At £3.50 it's so worth it. 

 I am really happy with these three products I bought and I am so keen to try out some more as MUA really seems to be combining quality products with high popularity and affordability.

Have you tried any MUA products? Leave comments below!

Nailed it 2

NAIL ART 

Painting my nails is one of my favourite things, and when I can find the time, I love nail art. This look although it took AGES was pretty easy and personally I think it looks really nice. It's based upon a photo I found on tumblr which I can't find now! When I'm lacking inspiration I just look at nail art images on tumblr to help me decide. I also have the WAH nails Nail art book which is super cool too. I began by prepping my nails with Nails Inc base caviar base coat which I love. I painting my thumb and little finger white with a Barry M nail varnish as the  colour I used was very sheer and I wanted to add opacity. I did 3 or 4 coats which a nude/pinky colour and then added three gems. For my index and ring finger, I used a No 17 silver nail varnish, and then went over with a silver glitter nail varnish from Barry M. I topped off with some large sequin pieces which I got from Topshop a while ago but any glitter is fine! For my middle finger I used a black nail varnish, again from Barry M (spot the pattern!) and then topped off with some tiny silver balls from a Nail art wheel I got from River Island. Here, here and here are some perfect things for this look! I like this look although its bold, it can pretty much go with any outfit. Nail art is really hitting off at the moment with me. 

                                                  

Do you like nail art? Leave comments below!

That rocks

LOLA ROSE ENERGISING ROCK CRYSTAL HAND LOTION

Lola Rose (such a pretty name!) is a brand I'd never heard of before this hand lotion. The product says it is formulated with the unique energy of Rock Crystal, combined with cocoa butter and pearl extracts designed to moisturise and protect the skin from dryness, whilst refreshing and invigorating the mind, body and soul. I got it as a present for my birthday and the first noticeable thing is the scent - it is amazing. I've never tried/heard of 'Rock Crystal' so I can't compare the scent to anything but it is citrusy and floral at the same time. It is quite a heavy smell. I've had bad eczema on my hands recently so haven't been able to test this properly for a while incase it makes it worse hence the almost 2 month delay on reviewing. It does leave your hands feeling very soft, but it's not something that would be easy to pop in your handbag as it's a pretty big bottle. I love the look of the bottle and keep in on my bedside table as the scent is relaxing and helps me to drift off a little bit easier. I still prefer my Body shop Hemp hand cream to this but I do like this product. At £14 it's fairly pricey for a brand I've never heard of, but it's a perfect gift. 

Have you tried any Lola Rose products? Leave comments below!

Grunge hair

UMBERTO GIANNINI GLAM HAIR COLLECTION

I have had my eye on these two beauties for a while now and was waiting for the 2 for £8 offer to come back on! Umberto Giannini 'Back Comb in a Bottle' and 'Grunge Glamour Tousled Salt Spray' are part of the Glam Hair Collection by Umberto Giannini. Both products focus on volume and movement something that is really important and a difficult task for me. I love the packaging of the products but find it a little strange that the bottles are slightly different as they are part of the same collection.

 Grunge Glamour Tousled Salt Spray promises "perfect lived-in texture and come-to-bed hair." You apply the product through damp hair and let your hair dry naturally or use a diffuser. I love the effect it gives and gives some volume and a lot of texture to my naturally straight hair without having to try too hard. I'm yet to try it before curling or waving my hair but i think it'll work perfectly. It also gives your hair texture just after making it easier to put up.

                           

Out the two, this is my favourite and stands out the most.Backcomb In A Bottle for me is a perfect product and absolute MUST-HAVE. I use it in place of a hairspray for perfect volume which I find so hard to gain. It also stops you having to backcomb your hair (hence the name) without ruining your hair with split ends and ending up with a big matted mess. It leaves a gorgeous texture too. The product is just magic!I think this will be a product I will always have and use. I forgot to mention these products have an amazing scent which stays in your hair for so long. They are available at Boots and are on offer for 2 for £8.

Have you tried these products or any other from the Umberto Giannini collections? Leave comments below! Thanks for reading!

Double up

NIVEA DAILY ESSENTIALS DOUBLE EFFECTIVE EYE MAKE-UP REMOVER

Nivea double effect eye make-up remover is an eye make-up remover (obviously) which promises to remove all eye make up including tough waterproof mascara with no rubbing needed. It is a "two-phase" extra strength formula which is perfect for even sensitive skin (yay!). One phase is oil based - the dark blue, and the other phase is aqueous which protects and cares for your eye lashes too without leaving an oily residue. To use, you shake the product a lot to mix both parts, apply to a cotton pad and swipe over your eyes to remove all product. It's really easy to use and is so effortless.  I sometimes just use it to remove all my make up. Being a bit of a magpie, I also really like the look of the two phase idea - I love anything a little bit different and it reminds me of them really cool mouthwashes (haha!). It's well priced too, £3.59 from Boots.  I've seen it on offer at various places too, I got mine from Sainsbury's. I have been using this for around a week and you don't have to use much at all, so it will last long, but with such a cheap price you won't have to worry about overusing.

What are your favourite make up removers? Thanks for reading and leave comments below!

Sweet kisses

L'OREAL ROUGE CARESSE LIPSTICK

                                 

L'oreal is one of my favourite drug store brands. I love their make up, skincare and hair product ranges. This post is on their Rouge Caresse lipsticks. I have two of these lipsticks in shades cheeky magenta (top) and rock n mauve (bottom). I love the formula, its so creamy yet sheer and moisturising too and so a really easy lipstick to apply.  I also love the packaging of the lipstick as it looks expensive. It's an affordable product too. I'd love to try some of the newer colours too. 

When I'm in a rush, I always go to 'Cheeky Magenta' as it just goes with everything and applies so well. It's super moisturising too so perfect to wear without the day. As with longevity, the lipstick doesn't last throughout the day that well but leaves behind a very VERY subtle colour.

This colour 'Rock n Mauve' is perfect for the day and as it comes into winter is perfect. It's a nice colour to try a bold purple if you're feeling a little shy! They are available from Boots priced at £7.99 but are quite often on offer.

Have you tried any of Rouge Caresse Lipsticks? Leave comments below!

Foundation blocks

CLINIQUE EVEN BETTER FOUNDATION AND HIGH IMPACT MASCARA

I bought Clinique Even Better foundation  a couple of weeks ago after I feeling a little bored of my Revlon nearly naked foundation and wanted to try something more high end. I also wanted slightly more coverage for the Winter which is so close now :( Even Better foundation is supposed to even out your skin tone too, easily covering redness without being too heavy. On first application my boyfriend mentioned how smooth my skin looked too - you know it must be good if a GUY notices! I was matched to the shade fair (2) which is THE perfect match to my skin tone. It leaves a light dewy finish and applies fairly easily. I buff it out with my Mac 187 duofibre just to create an even finish -I sometimes find it is easy to over apply with this foundation. I have dry skin and the odd time very slightly oily but this suits it perfectly. It also lasts ALL day.

                                 

                            

 I got given a sample of the Clinique High Impact mascara when I bought the foundation which is quickly becoming one of my favourite mascaras and I will be purchasing one pronto. It lengthens, separates and adds volume to my lashes without being clumpy. 

                              

                           

Have you tried any of these products? Leave comments below!

Outfit

OCTOBER OUTFIT

This is a quick outfit idea based around my most recent purchase - a grey leather-look wrap skirt from Topshop. I love the jumper-skirt combo right now, and I think with a pair of heels and statement necklace this outfit can be perfect for drinks or a night out. I'm also loving fluffy knits at the moment - they are perfect to snuggle up with in Winter and to add texture to an outfit. All these pieces are chosen from Topshop. I'm going  to wear an outfit similar to this Thursday night when I go out to Joshua Brooks in Manchester to see Karma Kid and Armeria DJ there.