5 Beauty picks for 5 pounds and under............

I thought it might be fun to show you five of my favorite products that cost £5 and under.

I like most beauty lovers am a fan of high end products, I also love lots of products from the drugstore. I dont see the point in paying a high price for a product if there is an identical one or better for a lower price.

Here are my picks.

My 5 picks are...

MUA 12 Shadow palette

NYC Showtime Mascara

Collection Gel Liner

Sleek Blushes

Barry M Nail polish

What do you think of my choices?

Would you like to see another of these videos?

Mwah

Barry M Dragon Fruit NOTD............

Last week I shared with You the beautiful Greenberry from Barry M. Today I have the equally gorgeous Dragon Fruit, another of the new spring shades from the Gelly Collection.

This is a beautiful bubble gum pastel pink, perfect for spring and very girlie. 

I love this colour. So pretty.

The Gelly range of polishes has totally seduced me, they are long lasting, super glossy and lovely to apply.

Dragon Fruit was opaque in two coats.

I cant wait to try out some more of the polishes in the range!

Is this a color that you would wear?

What shades from the Gelly range do you recommend?

Mwah

Elf HD Blush in Diva..........

Something that took my fancy when Elf last had their 40% sale was there new HD blush.
A highly pigmented liquid blush in a pump dispenser. 

Diva

I choose the shade Diva, a bright pink shade almost a magenta. 

The blushes are designed to give a soft focus finish whilst illuminating the cheek bones and sculpting your features.

The first thing that struck me is that this isn't just super pigmented, its super, super plus pigmented!!

A full pump is about 5 times the amount that you need for bot cheeks. 

I found that the tiniest squeeze of the pump is more than enough, I use about a match stick head amount for both cheeks. I apply it with a stippling brush, making sure to remove the majority of the color on my hand first as the first time I used this I had a look more suited to aunt Sally from Wurtzl Gummage or a clown!!

I like this blush for those days on which I want a natural fresh air look, like I have just been for a walk along the sea front, lol. 

As long as you blend this blush out and use a gentle and subtle hand, it is beautiful. Its very long lasting on the skin and gives a lovely satin finish. It doesn't sit in pores like some cream blushes and looks very fresh on the skin.

At £3.75 I feel this is a fab product, Its so pigmented that I cant imagine it ever running out. 

In total there are 5 shades in the range, and I for one will be trying others in the future.

You can buy Elf online at Eyes, Lips, Face.

Will you be trying Elf HD Blush?

Mwah

A Golden eye with a neon lip, a look I've been loving.............

Happy Sunday everyone!! Hope you have all been having a fab weekend?! 

I wanted to share with you today a make up look that I have been wearing for just over a week now since picking up the The Top Shelf Bare Minerals READY palette  in a blog sale.

Its a super quick eye that packs a punch with a gorgeous neon lip.

If you would like to see how I did this look, including the neon lip, then take a look at the tutorial below.

Hope you enjoy the look!!

Thank you for watching!

Mwah

Bare Minerals READY Eyeshadow 2.0..........

I love a good old blog sale, I really do. Especially when I find products that I have been dying to try.

I was so happy when I saw this Bare Minerals palette over on Alices blog (Bright town Girl, you must check her blog out!!)  it is something I have wanted to try for ages.

The READY Range from Bare Minerals is a collection of pressed products including eye shadows, skin veils, foundation, bronzer and blush.

The Top Shelf Palette

L To R

Mixologist and Cognac

These shadows are super pigmented and have really impressed me. They have an almost creamy texture, blend beautifully and last all day.

Mixologist and Cognac

I love the payoff from just one swipe of a finger or brush. Cognac is a beautiful antiqued gold shade, a color I have been loving recently.

The packaging is the rubberized compact that has become famous thanks to NARS. It also has a great sized mirror in the compact, making it ideal for travel.

The duo shadows normally cost £19.00, in my opinion a great price for the quality and pigment of the product.

I put a video together of a look I have been wearing featuring these beautiful shadows.

Have you tried the ready shadows from Bare Minerals? What colors do you recommend?

Mwah

Lush Fresh Face Masks...........

If you follow me on twitter or YouTube, you will oh heard me moaning about the state of my skin since December. I really don't know what has happened but it has gone totally haywire.

I talked about Steam Cream and Trilogy Rose hip oil in My January Favorites  and although these have gone some way to help, my skin is still in a sorry state.

I decided that I would like to give a couple of the Lush Face Masks a go as I have heard lots of good things and love the idea of using all natural products on my skin.

So off I trotted to my local lush to pick up some skin treats. Here is what I got...

 Love Lettuce was my first pick, especially as it is fragrance with French Lavender and I love all things Lavender scented, the added bonus is Lavender helps balance the skins oil production.

It has a firm gel like texture that spreads easily over the skin. It also has Fullers Earth in the mix, Ideal for oily skins as it absorbs excess sebum. This mask also has ground almond shells to exfoliate away dead skin cells and brighten the skin.

Next I choose Catastrophe Cosmetic. This has a much firmer texture, it feels almost like a clay and has a light fruity fragrance. 

I picked this as it is packed with Blueberries, a rich antioxidant. Just what my skin needs. It also has calamine to help sooth the skin, with chamomile to take away redness and calm.

It is also deep cleansing, ideal for regular use and wont leave the skin feeling tight or uncomfortable as it also includes Almond oil.

I decided that I wanted to used these masks in conjunction with one another, and that is what I have been doing for the 3 weeks I have had them.

First I use Love Lettuce to leave my skin fresh and bright thanks to the exfoliating action of the almond shells, ideal for absorbing vitamins and minerals.

Then I apply Catastrophe Cosmetic for a deep cleanse and antioxidant boost.

I have also used both the masks individually, but ultimately my favorite is to use them together. 

I love how soft and smooth my skin feels after. Redness is reduced and I definitely notice my skin has a brighter appearance the next morning.

The masks cost £5.95 and need to be kept in the fridge as they have fresh ingredients.

Although my skin has a long way to go, I am seeing a real improvement and Lush skin care is something that I will be looking into more.

What are your favorite Lush masks?

mwah

Loreal Caresse my 1st Impressions...............

I don't know about you but I for one was super excited when I first heard about the Loreal Caresse's hitting the shelves.
They had been promise to be the drugstore equivalent of my much loved YSL Glossy Stains.

Top To Bottom

Marilyn (103), Romy (102), Lolita (101)

When I saw that Superdrug had a 3 for 2 on all Loreal products, I had a little swatch and picked my 3 favorites.

The range had about 7 or 8 colors in total ranging from nude all the way to red.

I picked a bright pink ( Marilyn), a coral toned pink with gold sparkle (Romy) and a pretty nude shade called Lolita.

My first impressions were good, a nice selection of basic colors, a good price ( £7.99) and beautiful packaging. 

No, since getting these babies home and having a play, I have to say that I am on the fence.

The above picture shows you clearly the colors, you can also see that they are a little on the watery side.

I have used them all a couple of times each now, and in all honesty, when I have them on my lips, they all look the same. I don't know if it is the staining agent in the formula that just sticks to my lips and shows through or just a fluke.

I cant really see similarity between the shades in the tube, but on my lip that's a whole other story

 I have only managed to get lip swatches of Marilyn so far, I will take pictures of the others in the day light to share with you in a week or so in a follow up post.

I want to give the Caresses a fair trial, and believe me I want to love them, so far tho, Im not sure.....

Have you had this issue? Is it just me?

Mwah

NYX Pinched, a NARS Orgasm Dupe......

If you follow my blog, you will of seen a post from me yesterday sharing with you my love of Pinched blush from NYX.

It wasn't until I was looking at the post before publishing it yesterday that I realized that I may have a dupe on my hands.

The soft pinkie coral with gold shimmer looks all to familiar to my much loved Orgasm from NARS.

So I got out both my Super Orgasm and Orgasm and had a lil swatch fest today to see if Pinched really is a dupe.

Super Orgasm and Pinched

Orgasm and Pinched

In the pan Super Orgasm shade wise looks identical, all be it with the edition of the glitter. In all honestly the glitter doesn't bother me, you can see from the pan how much love this blush has had.

In the pan Orgasm looks slightly paler, although again so similar.

Texture wise all three are very different. I find that NYX Pinched feels creamy in texture, Orgasm less creamy and almost firmer in texture. Super Orgasm in comparison feels hardest, down to the glitter I feel and a little more chunky in texture.

Swatch wise, I think you will agree, they all look the same, with the exception of Super Orgasms glitter.

L To R

Orgasm, Pinched and Super Orgasm

In my opinion this is the closest dupe I have seen to Orgasm, a shade that people always seem to want to copy. 

I for one love all three, I will continue to show pinched a lot of love. Orgasm will remain my ultimate bridal blusher, the firmer texture means that I don't need to be cautious when applying and can build the colour up easily without mistakes. As for super Orgasm, I still love this lil glitter bomb for nights out.

So what do you think?

Mwah

Rosy Glow Blusher by Dior................

Something I have found myself reaching for recently as the prospect of spring and some sunshine comes closer is the Rosy Glow Blusher from Dior.

At first glance, it looks like any old bubble gum pink blush. On closer inspection tho it becomes apparent that this is in fact a healthy glow booster blush. When applied it reacts with the moisture in your skin to adjust to your personalized Rosy blush.

I love the fact that you get your own personal shade, the only down side is that I personally adore the colour when it comes straight out the pan. I love baby and bubblegum pinks. On my skin it turns into a deeper rosy shade.

With a £29.50 this is on the pricey side, I was lucky enough to get this last year when I had a gift voucher.

Is it something I think everyone needs to try, not really. 

Don't get me wrong I do like it, I just think that a rosy tone blush is something you can find in other brands at better prices. Yes the packaging is stunning, and the blush good, just not ground breaking.

I do wish that it stayed more bubblegum on my skin, I will probably stop reaching for this in the spring as I start wearing brighter and lighter shades. 

This is a blush that I will get a lot of use from in the autumn and winter of the coming year. I'm a bit disappointed with myself for over looking it so much this past winter.

What do you think? Are you a fan of self adjusting products?

Mwah

MUA Undress Your Skin Shimmer Highlighter.....

MUA Have recently launched several new products to help make the most of you skin and so it off at its best.
One of the new launches, and one that I am most excited about is the Undress Your Skin Shimmer Highlighter.

I love highlights and there really are not enough good ones available at the drugstore.

Thanks to MUA thats about to change.

The undress your Skin Highlighter comes in just one shade.

In the pan it looks like a plain run of the mill champagne shade, but when you blend it out onto the skin, it also has pretty pink undertones, so pretty.

It feels soft on the skin and is finely milled so there is no chunky glitter just a super pretty shimmer on the skin. 

The powder is baked and adds a lovely glow to the skin. The tone of the powder makes it super wearable for all skin tones, it really is beautiful.

Fore me MUA have done it again, they have lured me in with another fantastic product that is sure to become a staple in my makeup bag.

At the moment the Undress Your Skin Shimmer Highlighter is available from selected branches of Superdrug or direct from MUA Store.

Is this a product that appeals to you? Will you be trying it out?

Mwah

NYX Pinched blush.........

Hello, My name is Maria and I am addicted to blusher.
I have alot of makeup addictions and love all cosmetics, however I really do think that blusher is my one true love.

In my January Favorites I spoke to you about Peach from NYX a blush that I have been obsessed with. Today I have Pinched to share with you.

Pinched is a beautiful pinkie coral with some slight gold shimmer. There is no chunky glitter in this pretty blush, just a lovely subtle golden sheen.

This blush applies beautifully and is not at all chalky or powdery on the skin. It lasts all day and is super pigmented.

The blush costs £5.50, a great price for such a great quality drugstore blush.

I wish that we were able to get NYX in our beauty halls and drugstores like in the states, you can order online tho, so all is not lost!!

I get my NYX direct from www.nyxcosmeticsstore.co.uk

I am really enjoying NYX blushes at the moment, what colors of the NYX blush range do you

recommend?

Mwah

Naked 2 and Wet n Wild smoky purple eye........

Happy Tuesday everyone!!

Hope you are all having a fab week?!

I have for you today part two of the tutorial I filmed the other day, this is eyes and lips. 

I wanted a mauve silver look and this is what I can up with.......

I used the Urban Decay Naked2 Paltte and my Wet'N'Wild Petal Pusher palette. I really like this look and have worn it to work a few times. To see how I achieved the look, watch below...

Mwah

Current Medium cover foundation routine, Nearly Naked demo...

So after sharing with you my review on what I think of the new Revlon Nearly Naked foundation, I decided that I wanted to show you how it applies and my current routine.

At the moment my skin is in a terrible state so it is lovely to be able to wear a foundation that feels light and yet gives me enough cover to hide my blemishes and make me feel confident.

I hope that you like this demo...

Have you tried Nearly Naked?

What do you think?

Mwah

Mac Pink Pigeon, Neon pink lippies and a dupe.......

I know alot of fellow Lippy lovers missed out on the infamous Pink Pigeon when MAC re released it this month. It sold out instantly when It was first released as part of the Iris Apfel collection and again this time as part of the strength collection.

Several people mentioned to me that they hadn't been able to get hold of Pink Pigeon, a vivid bright almost neon pink. I got to wondering If I had any other lip sticks in my collection that were comparable.

Here is what I came up with.....

Pink Pigeon, Barry M No 52 and Fuchsia Flash

Looking at them in the tube, the look close but not exact, however on the lips there is a very close if not identical dupe....

MAC Pink Pigeon

Barry M No 52

This is a matt finish lipstick and feels quite dry on the lips, although it doesn't actually look chalky. This lippy is a true Neon and a good bit brighter than the Mac. 

Close but not quite....

Maybelline Fuchsia Flash

Now, Fuchsia Flash, part of the new launch from Maybelline called Vivids is just that. A true vivid pink. Texture wise it feel creamy and moisturizing on the lips with a glossy finish. Colour wise I think this is a super close match and in my opinion a very good dupe.

What do you think? Is Fuchsia Flash the dupe people have been looking for?

I think so!!

Mwah