My Mac Lipsticks: Morange and Impassioned

I own so many different lipsticks with prices ranging from a Collection lipstick which was in the sale for 50p (and is one of my most go-to lip colours) to these £15 Mac lipsticks. I think it's nice to splurge every now and then on higher end makeup items and, with lipsticks, I know I will get my use out of them. Both of the lipsticks I own from Mac are amplified creme finishes which I love and am most drawn to because it seems to have bright and vibrant colours in the collection, however, I haven't tried any other finish so I can't compare them. I love the sweet scent Mac lipsticks have and I also love how creamy these lipsticks are but not so much so that they slide around and off the lips.

First is Morange which is a really bright and true orange which I love with all of my heart. I only bought this lipstick today but can tell I will get so much wear out of it because I wear bright lipsticks constantly. I have quite a few bright orange shades from brands like Collection, Gosh and Topshop but I thought it would be really worthwhile investing in an orange that I know will last all day and of really high quality.

(Please ignore the hideous shape of this lipstick, I don't know why all my lipsticks end up like this haha)

Impassioned was the first Mac lipstick I bought, and since buying it around December time, have loved it ever since. I chose really carefully as I wanted to get my money's worth and literally left the shop with my hand covered in swatches of different finishes and shades. I'm really happy I chose Impassioned as I use it frequently for both day and night as I find it to be the perfect shade of pink in that it's very bright and noticeable but isn't a Barbie shade of pink making it incredibly wearable. Every time I go to a Mac counter I always pick this lipstick up and then realise that I already own it, I think my eyes are just so attracted to it (in a non-creepy way).

Above are swatches of the lipsticks and I would definitely say they make it into my list of favourite lipsticks. These colours add a splash of colour to your face and can make a plain outfit appear really different and much more interesting when wearing either shade. I also think these two colours just make my face appear much more healthy and alive and give a focal point to the face.

These are the only Mac products I own but I want to try more products from them! I'm thinking of getting a concealer because I really want one which doesn't crease and that completely masks my blue veins under my eyes and also a Mineralize Skinfinish. I have to be realistic though because being on an 8 hour work contract can hardly fund a life of makeup luxury, so, if you know of any cheaper alternatives, please let me know!

The Vamps, Lawson and The Wanted

This is completely non-beauty related but thought I would do a quick post to tell you about an outdoor music concert in Northampton I went to on Saturday for my friend's birthday. Performing there were The Vamps and Lawson as the support groups and The Wanted as the main act. I had such a good time and me and my friends got pretty close to the front barrier which was amazing and I could see all their faces so clearly. I already liked Lawson beforehand but I do even more so now I've seen how good they are live and I've also developed a love for the main singer Andy after seeing his STUBBLE, his HAIR, his ARMS. At the end of their set they all came up to the barrier and I nearly had a nervous breakdown when Adam (the drummer) came near (have you seen his jawline? I say no more).  The Wanted aren't a band I would say I love usually but I enjoyed their performance so much and thought they were really entertaining to watch and sing along to even if I did have to randomly improvise on some of the lyrics. It was a really good night with not too many people there that you couldn't move but enough people to get a great atmosphere.

This is blurry as heck cause I had to zoom in on the photo but, DEM ARMS!

I stole these two off of my friend's Facebook (copyright laws please spare me my blogging life).

The Wanted were too difficult to take pictures of because they kept moving (gosh where do you think you are, a concert or something?!) and the lights were flashing and bright but Siva's structured face is imprinted on my mind forever.

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick Collection and Swatches

Lipsticks are my favourite makeup item to buy as I rarely wear eyeshadow and so like to put the colour and emphasis onto my lips. I own so many it's kind of ridiculous and my obsession started when I convinced my mum to buy me the Barry M Touch of Magic green lipstick that changes colour depending on your skin tone and, ever since, I have loved lipstick. A small minority of my collection is from the Rimmel Kate Moss range; I own some from the original lasting finish collection and some from the matte lasting finish collection.

From left to right: 01, 12 and 16

Firstly are the three shades I own from the original lasting finish collection; I love the formula of these lipsticks as they feel really creamy, are moisturising and don't dry out my lips at all. I also find them to be very long lasting which I love because I hate the idea of reapplying lipstick throughout the day- I just want it to stay put. I also love the smell of these lipsticks, to me they smell like a mix of a load of different smells like fruit, sweets and cinnamon. They retail at Boots and Superdrug for £5.49 which I believe is entirely affordable especially as lipsticks tend to last me ages.

Shade 01 is quite a deep, dark red shade as opposed to a bright and true red which I, personally, love because it makes it more wearable for daytime but can also be worn through to the evening. I feel like this lipstick has quite a vintage and classy feel to it and would look really good with a dark eye makeup look.I don't wear this lipstick all too often, mainly because I forget I own it, but, also, because it's been warm and sunny, I feel like a dark lipstick shade doesn't match up so I opt for oranges and vibrant pinks instead. I recently lent this to a friend who is Sri Lankan for her prom and she suited it so well so I would definitely say this colour is a universal shade and would suit most skin tones.

Next is shade 12 which I honestly do not like on myself as I feel the colour looks completely different on my hand than it does on my lips. In the swatch above it appears to be a vibrant, bright orange, however, on my lips it comes out a dark orange shade which I just don't find flattering on myself. I find this really disappointing because I want to love it because I'm a slave to orange lipsticks but I just can't bring myself to wear it no matter how much I try to convince myself otherwise. I would recommend this shade for people who want to wear an orange lipstick in a subtle way, unlike people like myself who prefer real orange shades.

Finally from the original range is Shade 16 which I absolutely love! It is such a perfect baby pink colour that looks so feminine and girly. This is the nudest shade of lip colour that I will willingly wear and it's not even that near a nude shade to be honest haha. I love wearing this for a natural makeup look and just for if I was going out quickly to the shop or to walk my dog and wanted an easy colour to wear and apply but still wanted it to be clear I was wearing lipstick. This lipstick just makes me so giddy with joy and especially because it is from the Spring collection which makes it seem like such a happy shade.

From left to right: 110 and 107

Next are the two matte lasting finish shades I own: 110 and 107. Both of these lipsticks seem to be really popular among bloggers and YouTubers and it feels like every person in the world owns these two shades and I understand why! They share a similar (if not the same, I can't actually tell haha) smell to the original lasting finish lipsticks but differ in that they obviously have a more matte finish to the other collection. Although they are matte shades I wouldn't say they are completely so as they do seem to have some sheen to them but I didn't buy them for the matte effect, I bought them for the colours. On the lips they feel just as moisturising as the previous lipsticks but I would say they are longer lasting, particularly 107 as it leaves a dark stain to the lips. The only thing I would say about these lipsticks is to make sure you exfoliate your lips before wearing them because, on me at least, they seem to accentuate dry areas.

110 is a really nice orangey, corally shade that I love but I also always forget to wear this one as well (sorry Kate)! It's one of those shades that add a splash of colour to your makeup without being too in-your-face and it gives a healthy, alive look to your appearance. It's a colour that's really nice to own even if you weren't to wear it all the time just because it differs from the usual pink and coral shades.

Lastly is 107 and, oh my word, I am in love. It is my favourite from the five lipsticks and I am so happy I bought it. I usually steer clear of dark lipsticks and, after a bad experience with Topshop's Beguiled which basically made me look ill as it had too much purple in it, I never took interest in them. However, 107 was one of those lipsticks I always swatched when going into Boots or Superdrug but never bought because I felt it would be a waste as I wouldn't use it but I was wrong! It's a lovely purpley, plummy shade that I feel looks really sophisticated and adds a twist to a girly outfit. I feel a bit grungey when I wear it (this feeling is ridiculous as I am probably on the furthest point away on the grunge spectrum) and I wish I bought it in Winter as I really feel like it's too deep a shade for Summer! CURSE YOU SUN RUINING MY 107 WEARING LIFE! Although, despite my burst of capitalisation, I have worn this a few times during the day (I will pretty much wear any lipstick in the day as I don't separate them into a day and night category) and haven't felt overdone or too dressy wearing it. I really think it is one of those colours people should buy to step out of their comfort zone with because of the affordable price. I've also been on the hunt for darker lipstick shades since buying this one but so far I haven't found any that I like, any suggestions?

I'm looking to extend my collection of these Rimmel lipsticks because of the value for money and I love the extent and variation of the colour range. I am thinking 05 and 13 next (dear heavens above control me).

Poundland Beauty Buys: Revlon and Stila

Firstly I picked up three Revlon Nail Enamels; I only own one other Revlon nail varnish which is 260 Girly that I bought when on offer in Superdrug for £4.49 (forever a sale seeker) instead of the usual  £6.49. I love the colours Revlon offer but I don't usually bother buying expensive nail varnishes because I honestly think it's impossible for it to not chip off throughout the day so stick to ones that are around £4 or less.  I really like the shape of these bottles (it seems wrong calling them bottles haha) and the long lid makes it easy to hold. There were a few more different colours available such as a red and an orange which I very nearly bought as well but then realised I really don't need any more nail varnishes...but I still bought three anyway.

From left to right: 340 Stunning, 85 Minted and 281 Classy

Stunning is stunning (hawhaw), no I'm joking but it is a really nice glitter varnish to layer over any other colour, it has different sizes of glitter pieces and the larger ones are holographic which provides me with minutes of amusement when it catches the light, usually when I'm stood at the fitting room at work.

Minted is a pastel mint (why does Revlon make it so hard to describe a colour without using the actual name?!) and I was really excited when I found this because it looks so summery.

Lastly is Classy which I thought would be a very light, pale pink but it actually comes out with an orangey tint which isn't what I expected but I still like it. In the above picture I used two coats of varnish for Stunning and Minted but three for Classy because it came out quite streaky and the streaks were still obvious after two coats.

I've worn all three varnishes and I would say their duration is around two to four days depending on whether you peel and pick at it like I do or not.

The next item I bought was a Stila Tinted Moisturiser, when I saw this I was so excited because I've never tried any Stila products but have heard it's a good brand. The idea of a tinted moisturiser really appealed to me because it's been so hot recently and especially because it's by a higher end brand. The colour is in Light 3 which I think is a bit too orange for me but it was the only one I could find so I thought I'd buy it and try and make it work somehow.

I've tried this twice and I find it personally isn't beneficial for me because, even though I don't use high coverage foundations, I do like to use foundation to even out my skin tone but I feel like this product just doesn't provide enough coverage for me. This isn't any fault of the product because it's intended to be light and sheer as it says. I tried it first by itself without a moisturiser before hand and felt it just didn't moisturise my face and I found it really hard to spread because it's quite thick, however, the actual blending is fine it's just a case of using quite a lot of product. The second time I used it after my usual face moisturiser had sunk in and it did seem to work better where it didn't have to act as a primary moisturiser.

I think it would be really good to use for a holiday if you wanted to keep your base to a minimum and get sun protection as well and, because it's slightly too dark for me, it would match a lot better if using it with a tan. It'd also be good for younger girls starting to wear makeup because it's so minimal and leaves your skin looking and feeling like skin. I looked online to see how much this product would usually be and I found prices of around £20 but also saw it on eBay for £1.99.

You can sort of see a yellowish tint on my arm in the above picture where I used the product which looks worse than it does on my face because my face has more colour than the inside of my arm but I do wish I found a closer matching colour. I'm going to give the tinted moisturiser another go when my skin is having a good day and see what I think again because I really want to like the product and be like 'yes I use Stila...which I got FOR A POUND.', but, for now, those words shall not be uttered.

River Island Sale Purchases

A few days ago I went into River Island to have a look round and they had a massive sale going on which, initially, didn't really interest me as I hardly ever buy items from there. I  like the clothes and accessories they have but find it can be really expensive and I always talk myself out of buying them when I know I can find a cheaper alternative in other places (I am probably the only girl alive who returned a pair of Topshop's Joni jeans due to the price even though they fitted me and I loved them like a child) but the sale meant I found some really good bargains.

Firstly I found these black, gold studded, sandal flatforms (I think...) that I had wanted ages ago but when I discovered they were £45 I painfully locked them away in a safe place in my head. In the sale though they were only £15 which I couldn't believe and even for a girl who struggles with mental maths (or any kind) I knew this was a huge reduction. I absolutely love these and I think they're quite versatile in that they can be dressed up for the evening with a dress or skirt or worn more casually with leggings or jeans. They also look like they'll be really comfortable because of the ankle strap and the soft material so I shouldn't end up on the verge of collapse when wearing them.

As soon as I saw these my heart literally melted because they are so dang cute and even more so when seeing reduction from £32 down to £15. I love these because they have a modern twist on normal, day-to-day sandals or summer footwear because of the platform they have on them and the cut out detail makes them really appropriate for summer or taking on holiday abroad. For some reason the laces make me think of an old-fashioned school child or maybe even bowling shoes so I knew I had to get them.

(Warning: traumatic story ahead) When I first went into the shop I saw this dress in my size and loved it's unusual pattern and the quarter length sleeves but didn't pick it up because I rarely wear dresses so I didn't think it would be worth me buying it, but then I later decided I wanted it and went back but it had gone (shock, horror, betrayal). As you can probably tell though I did find my size as someone had tried it on and it had been put back onto the shop floor when they didn't want it (meheh one point to Dani). It was reduced from £35 to £15 which I think is such good value because it is quite a thick material so isn't one of those cheapy, see-through dresses. It has an elasticated button fastening at the back and the skirt section of the dress flares out and, along with the black panelling at the sides, it makes it a really flattering dress. The reason I don't wear dresses very often is because I feel they don't suit me and also struggle to find any that fit me well however, thankfully, this one does. I'm also really short so most things tend to come up long on me but this dress is a good length and comes to about the top of my knee when I'm wearing heels. 

I am so happy I found this next item because I love wearing denim jackets, I only have two but I think they are so handy for wearing over a top and they keep you warm without making you look wintery like a coat does. I have literally lived and died in my acid wash one I bought from Primark in April so I'm so happy I now have another one I can switch between. This jacket was originally £60 which literally blows my mind and I can't ever imagine paying that unless it was really unusual and unique but it was reduced to £25 which I think is reasonable because it seems to be quite a thick denim and I love the floral embroidered pattern on it. The length of the jacket reaches my hips which I prefer over a shorter one and it also has tears in it (fear not for I wasn't attacked by savage animals) which makes it look more worn and vintage.

The last thing I bought was this oh my word heavenly necklace reduced from £15 down to £3 (!!!). I loved this the first day I set my eyes upon its full priced beginnings which is strange for me because I hate skulls on clothing and jewellery because I think they look creepy but I really like the details on these skulls. The skulls all sort of fit into each other and so sit straight and neatly; they have moved a few times when wearing it but I just flip them back around in a very technical manner. I always wear a necklace and I love statement ones so I think this will be perfect for making a plain outfit more interesting or to just add to any outfit.

I absolutely love everything I bought from the River Island sale and can tell I'll get such good wear out of everything but particularly the jacket. Did you buy anything from the sale?

:)

Review: Poundland Chit Chat Mascara

I always love visiting Poundland to see what sort of things they have in stock makeup wise and usually always buy random items that I could most definitely live without and that I didn't even know existed before hand (I'm talking about you Rimmel Colour Mousse that I love looking at but haven't actually used). Every time I step into a cheap shop like Home Bargains, B and M and Savers I lose all sense of financial stability and develop a mindset that if I don't buy the product I'll end up regretting it when it's out of stock.

I'm going to be talking about Poundland's own mascara from their range Chit Chat which is a permanent feature in store that offers a variety of makeup products. I've only tried a few products, like their lipsticks and gel eyeliner, but the 'Lash Building Mascara' is an item I have repurchased about three or four times since first trying it and always find myself going back to even when I buy more expensive mascaras.

I really like the wand on on this mascara, I'm usually quite picky about mascara wands; I don't like them to be too thin and make my eyelashes all spidery but I don't like them to be too big to properly brush through my eyelashes. I find the wand perfect both in terms of shape and size and, when I use a different mascara and I feel unhappy with the outcome, I always use the Chit Chat brush to try and reshape them and lessen the visual damage caused hawhaw.

I find the formula both thickening and lengthening which I love, because, even though I don't like lengthening mascaras, I still want my eyelashes to be longer than they are but for the focus to be on the volume. I find it to be quite unusual in that if I get in the shower with the mascara on it comes off in really soft clumps instead of just running down my face and so it makes it a lot easier to take off after. Once you let one coat of it dry however it's kind of unmovable even if you run the brush through them again so it's best to get the shape and look you want while it's just been applied.

My face can get quite oily and, with mostly all of the mascaras I've ever used, I always end up with black smudges under my bottom eyelashes from the mascara but, with this one, it literally leaves only a tiny amount of smudging it's barely even noticeable so I love using this for my bottom eyelashes as well. I don't think it's even smudging it leaves but more like flecks of the mascara.

I took this picture of my eye at the end of the day and as you can see there's only a few specks of mascara underneath my bottom eyelashes that can easily be wiped away with a cotton bud. Considering the heat in England at the minute as well the mascara has done well to hardly budge or flake at all.

The writing on the tube pretty much rubs off after a few uses leaving you with just a plain pink tube which I suppose could be a downside for the product but for me personally, I don't mind.

I really think this mascara is amazing and if the price was raised higher than £1 (which I doubt it will because it defeats the whole object of POUNDland so it was pointless even contemplating a price change) I would still buy it because it works so well for me. I have tried this on my mum who has shorter and thinner eyelashes than me and it doesn't work in the same way for her so I can't say it'll be everyone's favourite but it's definitely worth a try considering the price.

Have you tried any products from the Chit Chat range? I'm thinking I may dig out the lipstick of theirs that I've severely neglected and am also tempted to buy a blusher to try out even though I have way too many already.

:)

Hello

Greetings! 

This is the first blog post that I've ever made and it's literally taken me more than a day to get to the point of writing this post because I've been trying, and failing, to work out how to use Blogger. Gone are the days where I would edit and customise my Piczo and MySpace accounts and, thankfully, the days of BTEC ICT, which equipped me with zero life skills.

I love makeup and the thrill of buying it; Boots and Superdrug are like my heaven on Earth and send me into a frenzy but, then again, I can also make a food shop to Morrisons a makeup buying session. I also love visiting charity shops and buying clothes I can imagine an old lady once wore, like jumpers and shirts.

I plan to use my blog for makeup reviews, beauty hauls and showing items bought from charity shops and, now my A-levels have finally come to an end, I pretty much have a whole summer of nothingness until I start my Makeup Artistry college course in September.

:)