MAC Strong Woman

MAC Strong Woman is a lipstick that comes from the MAC Strength Collection, it is a deep violet lipstick with a matte finish that I cant stop wearing.

This is a true violet lipstick that is pretty on my pale skin, the colour is a deep berry vampy violet which makes my blue eyes stand out. The application goes on smoothly with a creamy texture that dries matte but doesn't make your lips feel dry. This colour also stains the lips so even after the 6 hour wear a hint of the colour is left. I have been wearing this with both smokey eyes or just simple wined eye-liner and I love both looks, it has become my favourite shade, in fact I bought a back up! 

Have you got anything from this collection?

Leave me a comment,

Emily x

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Fake MAC Brushes Review

Hey guys,

I have another FAKE MAC brush review for you today. I bought these brushes two weeks back on eBay for £9.54, under the name '12Pcs Professional Make Up Cosmetic Makeup Brushes Kit Set Black Pouch/Case' and I really like them. These aren't my first fake MAC brushes, and I have no problems buying fakes as most of the time they are just as good and not even half the price of the real one, so you can totally understand why myself and people buy fakes.

The brushes come inside nice case with the 'MAC' logo on. The zip and the plastic materials its made of are of good quality, and I'm impressed. Inside the case the brushes sit in little pockets, with plastic covers on them. (I took them off) It also comes with a pouch that can be attached in the middle of the case, but I wasn't a fan so took it out. Just like real MAC brushes, none of which I have and don't intend to, each of these brushes have a specific number on. 

(Top row, left to right)

187 Duo Fibre Stipple Brush; I have used the 187 for just about every purpose; for mineral foundation, for liquid foundation, for powder, for blusher, for bronzer... There isn't much that this brush can't do. It is however a little plasticy and could be denser. I've had no shedding using this, and overall its useful to have.

136 Large Powder Brush; This brush is quite large and dense, and decently soft so as a powder brush, it's fantastic. It gives a very light and soft application of powder and is so versatile, you can use the edges and tip to apply tiny amounts of powder to the eye area, or you can use the whole of the brush to sweep powder over the face. 

168 Angled Contour Brush; This is the only brush that I'm not too fussed about. Its soft and dense, but I've found it sheds a lot on application. The size of the brush is nice and fits into the hollow of your cheek bones nicely. 

190 Foundation Brush; I really like this foundation brush, it feels silky smooth. The rounded edge is good for getting in corners around your nose and blending near the hairline. I know I wont use this all the time but its nice to have it.

(Bottom row, left to right)

316 Lip Brush; This brush comes with a metal cover, making it a retractable lip brush. It's soft with dark brown bristles, that can pack on colour with definition.

275 Angled Shading Brush; This brush is quite large, very dense, and very fluffy. It packs on colour, blends out colour, can be used for highlighting, defining the crease, getting into my inner eye area, and use it on your lower lashline to add a hint of colour. 

231 Small Shader Brush; There's not a lot to say about this brush, except its really soft. Its great for precise concealer application, gel eye liner, brow powder, high lighting in the inner corners of the eyes, and detailed shadow application.

212 Flat Definer; I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this brush, it is just too thick to do anything I want. 

219 Pencil Brush - My biggest complaint with it is that it is SCRATCHY. The shape is nice, and it works but it is uncomfortable to use.

214 Short Shader Brush - This brush is my favourite of all the eye brushes. It is really dense, and is small enough you can control it's every move and you can really get into the lash line and lower lash line which I love. 

209 Liner Brush - This brush is just too large to use with eyeliner, but will work to line your lips. The density is nice and the bristles are very soft and smooth.

263 Small Angle Brush - Putting on gel eyeliner has never been easier, this has the right about of give and firmness, and the angle is perfect. I've also used this to fill in my brows as its thin enough to allow for precision, and also large enough to fill in the brow quickly and without hassle.

So yes, I would definitely suggest you try these, they aren't real MAC but honestly it's just a name. 

What do you guys think about fake products?

Leave me a comment,

Emily X

MAC Candy Yum Yum

MAC finally added Candy Yum Yum Lipstick to its permanent line, I immediately picked one up.

 

 

Candy Yum Yum is a neon pink, bold, blue-based pink lipstick that really pops against my pale skin. It's bright but it's so pretty, I love how it brightens my face, and also lighten my mood by just looking at it. It's opaque and so pigmented it stains your lips, and despite the matte finish, feels creamy and glides on easily without being too drying. I get over 6 hours of wear without having to reapply, as the stain help blend the lipstick wearing off.

 

 

It is a great lipstick that will get you all the attention you want and is perfect for perking up both warm and cool complexions. If you love bright lip colors, definitely check this out!

Leave me a comment,

Emily x

 

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Burt's Bees Lip Balm Review; Pomegranate Oil and Acai Berry

I am a lip balm addict, I always have been and always will.

Raved about by beauty lovers out there, Burt's Bees are a brand that have been meaning to try for some time now, I am not entirely sure what has stopped me purchasing these before - other than perhaps, my HUGE collection of other lip balms. But last week I bit the bullet and bought two.

Burts Bees Pomegranate Oil Lip Balm;

To start I was really looking forward to using this, I love pomegranate and heard it left a tint on your lips. But initially I was disappointed, the smell is slightly herbally and to me nothing like pomegranate. Its not off putting but wasn't what I was expecting. I also found that it doesn't tint my lips, its described as a "hint of colour for an even-toned appearance" which I dont see at all. My natural lips might be too pinky for it to show up, which I think might be the case. The formula its self actually makes my lips pretty soft, and they stayed that way for a good few hours after it had worn of, which is great as I do find some balms don't leave much effect once they've worn off.

Burt's Bees Rejuvenating Acai Berry Lip Balm;

Now this one I picked up by chance, and I'm so glad I did. After a few days and nights using this it definitely rejuvenated my lips, and improved and smoothed their texture. It makes my lips soft and when it absorbs, my lips are moisturised and I don't feel I have to re-apply again. The smell of this balm is a pleasant bubblegum and berry fragrance similar to that of grapes. It applies smoothly as it very soft lip balm, and doesn't apply too thickly or feel heavy. This one doesn't have any colour to it, which I was surprised at but it does not make a difference as I normally stick a lipstick on top.

Overall I prefer the Acai Berry balm as the smell is lovely. Both nourished my lips but I don’t find them that spectacular compared to other brands like Carmex, Nivea and Vaseline. Saying that I'm happy to have them in my collection, and will use them up.

Have you tried any other Burts Bees products?

Leave me a comment,

Emily x

 

 

 

 

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MAC Pro Longwear Lipcreme - Love Forever

 

Love Forever from MAC is a beautiful lipstick, from the Pro Longwear line Love Forever provides intense colour in a long-lasting formula that glides smoothly on to your lips. The pigmentation is great, and gives a bright coating of colour with just a couple of swipes. I would describe the colour as a intense bubblegum pink, that looks really pretty with neutral or smokey eyes. There’s a bit of sheen to it, upon application but within a few minutes it goes matte, you can see this in the top photo of the swatch, it has more sheen than the one below which has been left for a few minutes. I can wear this shade for almost 5 hours, without too much drinking or eating, but even after then a pretty stain is left. For it being a long wearing lipstick which is matte, it’s amazing how it doesn’t really dry out my lips unlike most long wear lipstick lines. It is really creamy and a pleasure to use. I simply love this new shade, it will be found among my current top 5 lipsticks. I will be definitely trying new shades out!

Have you tried a Pro Longwear Lip Creme?

Leave me a comment,

Emily x

 

 

 

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Review: MUA Mega Volume Mascara

Mascara is the one item of makeup that I absolutely love. I love trying new ones out, and this past months has been MUAs Mega Volume mascara.

As you can see the packaging is simple in a barbie pink colour, and it has a large plastic comb wand, both I can't miss when looking for mascaras. I really like this wand as it gets each lash with every stroke, fans them out nicely, leaves them defined, jet black and without clumps. However, I really like big curly plump lashes, and this gives me more of a' natural' lift, so I do need to add lots of coats to get 'Mega Volume' - honestly about 4. Even with 4 coats on it stays on all day and doesn't crumble off, but with that said it is really easy to remove at the end of the day and looks as perfect as it did when it went on.

Overall I do like this, to me it's more of a "Quick! I've got two minutes to do my makeup" kind of mascara, great for a quick running out of the door application. Plus for £3 I think its worth it for an everyday mascara, but not something I would rush out for if I was wanting mega volume though.

Will you be giving this a try?

Leave me a comment,

Emily x

 

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MAC Haul

Hello lovelies!

For Christmas of my boyfriend I got a MAC voucher for £50, now with that comes a makeup lesson with a mua which I redeemed yesterday! With the voucher I bought a few things, but I also bought a few items myself.

Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - Light

Eye Kohl - Smolder

Studio Sculpt Concealer - NC15

Eye Brows - Stud

Pro Palette Eye Shadow x 4

Eyeshadow - Sumptuous Olive

Eyeshadow -Humid

Sumptuous Olive on the left, Humid on the right.

Both of these shadows were used in my make up lesson and I loved the colours ! I've included a photo below of the makeup on, which really brought out my eyes.

What do you think of my choices?

Do you have a favourite MAC eye-shadow?

 

Leave me a comment,

Emily x

 

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Not My Cup Of Tea; MAC Saint Germain

Hi lovelies!

Time for another MAC lipstick review, and this time it's MAC's Saint Germain. I've had this since June but I've barely used it, not that I don't like the colour, but it just seems to slip of my lips and fall into the lines.

Saint Germain is described as a "clean pastel pink" and that's exactly what it is, a pastel Pepto Bismol colour. The lipstick has an amplified finish which means it is bright, opaque, but also really creamy too. However I just feel this lip colour should be matte. Like I said before the staying power is rubbish not even an hour, and that's without eating and drinking. It just slips of, and disappears? It's strange! No other lipstick does that! But that's not just it, the few minutes its on, it sinks into the lines in my lips and makes them look chapped *sigh* I just don't get on with this lipstick.

Even though I loved the idea of this type of pink, this one just doesn't work for me, and I kinda regret buying it.

What are your thoughts on this lipstick? Do you have a favourite MAC shade?

Leave me a comment,

Emily x

 

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Lush's Enzymion Review

Enzymion, why weren't you in my life earlier?

So you guessed it, I really love Enzymion moisturiser from Lush. My skin is crazy at the moment and this is the only thing that keeps it under control and hasn't broken me out!

Enzymion is a light moisturiser intended for oily skin, made with lots of fruit juice to refresh and mattify your skin. The texture of Enzymion is liquidy compared to the normal texture you’d normally expect from a moisturiser, which adds to the cool and refreshing feeling. It's absorbed quickly without leaving any kind of sticky or tacky feeling, which makes it perfect under makeup, but it still leaves your skin feeling moisturised and nourished. However the first thing you notice is the smell; it's a really strong but lovely lemony orange smell. It lingers on your skin too, which is a bonus to me!

I would highly recommended Enzymion for oily skin but I don't think it would be hydrating enough for those with dry skin. I would also say if you have sensitive skin, go to lush and try some as a sample as the fresh juice might sting red or sore skin.

Enzymion is £13.75 for a 45g pot.

What's your favourite moisturiser?

Leave me a comment,

Emily x

 

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Yankee Candle Sale Haul

Sales, sales, sales. How can I refuse you?

If you've been on my blog before you would probably know I'm a candle fanatic. What a surprise eh? A beauty blogger who loves candles! ;) Well a little store near me had a HUGE sale on Yankee Candles, and as you can see I got quite a few!

 

All of the wax tarts were priced at 60p (!) when normally they are £1.20, and all the sampler candles were 90p down from £1.75

My favourite has to be Christmas cupcake, it's a buttery sugar cookie smell that I adore.

What is your favourite Yankee candle smell?

Leave me a comment,

Emily x

 

 

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Sale Haul

Hey guys,

Just a quick post today as I'm in the middle of tidying, otherwise know as hiding the mess, my bedroom. So here's a little look at what I've been buying;

New makeup draws - £11.99 (was around £20) - Whsmith

Chocomania Shower Creams - £4 each - Body Shop

iPad Mini Case - £3 (was £11) - River Island

NYX Butt Naked Eyes Pallet - £12.50 (was £25) - House Of Frazer

I've also been on a mad rush for Yankee candles, I've bought so many in the past week, but I will show you that tomorrow!

Leave me a comment,

Emily x

 

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Benefit Copy? W7's Honolulu Bronzer

Hey guys,

Today I have a review of what seems to be a fantastic copy for Benefit's Hoola, it's W7's Honolulu bronzer, it's that good I have two! Now admittedly I don't have Hoola to compare but from what I've seen there's not much in it!

Benefit's Hoola bronzer has been on my wish list for quite a while, but the price tag has always put me off so when I saw this I picked it by chance. Of course you can tell just by the look of it that it’s a copy of the benefit box blushes, but of course so much cheaper! (Prices are around £2.99) I absolutely adore the design of the Honolulu bronzer I think it is so girly and pretty! You also get a little brush in with the bronzer, again in the Benefit style.

The Honolulu bronzer is almost a matte/satin shade so it is perfect for contouring or bronzing. However it is quite dark and very pigmented, which is sometimes annoying as even when I use a very light hand, it leaves such a strong colour. Saying that I have been using this bronzer everyday for the past couple of months and I'm really loving it. The powder itself is really soft but not so soft that there is a lot of fall out, and blends easily. For the price I would really recommend this as dupe but also as a normal bronzer too, it has definitely made me not need the Benefit one and has curbed my desire for it.

What is your favourite bronzer? Do you think this compares to Hoola?

Leave me a comment,

Emily x

 

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MAC Russian Red

Hello!

Russian Red is one of MAC's popular red lipsticks, and now I know why. The colour is just right and now it is my new obsession.

Russian Red is absolutely amazing! This lipstick is a super opaque, matte, dark red colour. You seriously only need one swipe for full coverage on the lips! It's a very classic red colour, that I think would look great on anyone. It's such a pin up girl red I love it! The staying power for Russian Red is about 4 hours, but even then it leaves a pretty stain. I also love that Russian Red doesn't transfer or move. It never gets outside the lines of my lips and doesn't transfer on to cups. I also really love the feel of this lipstick. Most matte lipsticks are drying, but MAC mattes are not really drying at all. I never really feel the need to put lip balm on before Russian Red because it just doesn't try my lips out, a massive bonus!

Do you favourite red lipstick that makes you feel confident and sexy?

Leave me a comment,

Emily x

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2012 Favourites

I hope you all had a fantastic and lovely New Year!

When I was thinking about the different beauty products to include in my post today my list was pretty long, but I've finally cut it down and Ive been ruthless!

Lush's Retread; This has to be included in my favourites as it totally saved my hair! When I bleached my hair and dyed it purple my hair was soooo frizzy and dry, but after using this it felt renewed, baby soft and looked noticeably less frizzy. But another thing is the smell, it has to be the ONLY conditioner that I've ever been able to smell strongly in my hair days after it's been washed. It smells just like melon and cucumber not that fake smell but genuine, light, fresh melon and cucumber.

Nina Fantasy by Nina Ricci; It smells like jelly beans and the packaging is beautiful! It's just the right amount of ‘sweet’ without being sickly and over powering, its a really girly and fresh fragrance that I'm almost out of!

Max Factor Lasting Performance Foundation; I love this foundation! I'm as pale as they come and I had been searching every where for a foundation that was light enough. It got to the point where I didn't care how much it cost as long as it matched my skin, so when I found this it was pretty much a small miracle! This foundation is really creamy and doesn't have pink or yellow under tones, making it a really neutral colour. The foundation is lovely to blend, very smooth and creamy without been too sticky or watery. I would say this foundation is verging on full coverage.

Lush's Calacas; This smells AMAZING. If this was sold all year round, I would repurchase and repurchase over and over again. The scent is literally good enough to eat. I am not lying when I say I was so close to taking a bite of this thing, it smells like pure lime jelly beans! I use some in my shower in a netty puff and it lathers up with mountains of bubbles!

Lush No Drought Dry Shampoo; My new dry shampoo. I've only recently got this but wow, its impressed me so much it has to make it onto this list. It doesn't change your hair colour (perfect for black hair) but its amazing at soaking up the oil. The smell is delicious as well, really grapefruity and fresh. It's just great.

Beauty UK Blush Peaches and Cream; Peaches and Cream is such a lovely warm peachy pink colour that has a golden sheen. I've been wearing it almost everyday for the past year and I've really hit pan!

What have been you favourite products?

Leave me your link,

Emily x

 

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