2012 wishlist!

Okay, so it's April and I might be leaving this a bit late... But i've not bought anything i've been wanting for ages this year, and i'm more likely to buy them if its written down somewhere... So here's my list of things I want to get this year!

Okay, now can we all take a moment to feel sorry for the girl who is not yet the owner of EITHER of the naked palettes... that's right, not even the first one. So, my goal for this year, is to get them both. I've watched countless tutorials using them, and read countless reviews and looked at hundreds of swatches... It's about time I get to do my own blog post on one, even if it will be a bit late!

All you lucky people that live in the US have had the opportunity to buy these, sadly however, they aren't yet available in the UK

*crys a little at the thought*. When I asked someone that worked in Boots when they were going to stock them, they said it could be anytime up to 12 months... Sorry WHAT?! Look's like I might have to hunt them down on the internet somewhere...

Obviously not ALL of them, but I am completley in love with the China Glaze Hunger Games collection, probably not great to buy in summer as their more autumn colours... but their so friggin' pretty. And after months of lusting after it, I think a cheeky purchase of Something Blue by China Glaze is definetly around the corner...

Uh, yeah... may be a bit far fetched... But if anybody wants to buy me a Louis Vuitton handbag or a Macbook, by all means go for it, I won't complain.

Okay, this is completley justified. I need good quality make up brushes, mine are terrible, believe me, and with everyone suddenly raving about these, I really want to go out and get some of my own.... own and an EcoTools kabuki...

So keeping it short, that is the main things I want to buy this year, thought there would be more than this to be honest... Comment below what you want to get this year!

Company Review : Make Up Academy

When British chain Superdrug announced they were releasing a £1 make up range, I was one of the many people who assumed the make up would be of bad quality, with terrible packaging. However, after watching the brand grow over just over a year, I have been continuously impressed by their products!

The brand is most known, I think, for there eyeshadows, which are dupes for many different high end shadows, such as Mac Woodwinked.

They are very pigmented, long lasting, and very blendable. They come in 38 shades, 4 matte, and 34 pearl, so you have large choice for colour! Surprisingly, the packaging is very sturdy, and not tacky looking.

Also with 9 palettes out, some as cheap as £4, it's very easy to get a large collection for even less! The palettes also bare a strong resemblence to Sleek palettes! 

Their neutral pallete, heaven and earth, has been strongly compared to the Naked palette by Urban Decay, which retails at £34, £30 more than the MUA dupe!

Another great product by the brand is their lipsticks! Available in 16 shades, they are very pigmented, but also very buildable for a more dramatic look. They aren't as long lasting as you would hope, but at just £1 they are easy to replace, comparable to the £13.50 for a Mac lipstick. The packaging for the lipsticks looks a lot more high end than the packaging for the eyeshadows, and feels a lot more expensive and less plastic.

Their nail polish which comes in 24 shades, is very easy to apply, and with a top coat, can last up to 5 days. Although you don't get a lot in a bottle, I think its a great way to add to your nail polish collection without breaking the bank on China Glaze or OPI.

The last thing I feel like I need to give a mention is the Face Primer! When I got this, I was going through my 'I DON'T NEED PRIMER COS' IM A BADASS' phase so I didn't want to spend £20 on an Urban Decay primer, or a Benefit one. I wasn't expecting dramatic effects as it was only £4, but oh atlanta was I wrong. It definetly made me see the advantages of primer, especially after my eye primer ordeal which you can read about in an earlier blog post!

I don't want to dwell on every single product, so these are the ones I feel stand out the most. I haven't tried the foundation or concealer beacause I am kind of a make up snob when it comes to things like that... But you guys should definetly check out this brand at your nearest Superdrug if you haven't already! Most of it is only a pound, so its worth giving it a shot!

Sunday Shopping!

Yesterday, I took advantage of the last day of nice weather and went into town to do a bit of shopping. I only went to Superdrug and Mac, but have somehow managed to do quite a bit of damage to my bank account...

To be fair, in Superdrug, I only picked up things i've been wanting to buy for a while, and I always seem to justify Superdrug purchase on the basis that I have a BeautyCard, their equivilant of a loyalty card.

The first thing I got which I am SO excited about, is a Colour Tattoo by Maybelline! I feel like i'm the last person ever to try one of these, but for some reason i've just never actually picked one up before... Sadly, due to the hype of them, there was only 1 shade left there that I really liked, and thought looked wearable.

Bad to the Bronze is a gorgous brown colour, with a gold shine to it. These shadows are incredibly buildable, so the transition from daytime chic, to night time smokey eye would be really easy, they are also very blendable, I think a whole blog post will be dedicated to these in the near future.

 

Next, I got a blush from Sleek in the shade Lifes A Peach. Its an amazing coral colour, which I actually didn't have any of as i'm just starting to get in to blushes. I've never actually tried a Sleek blush before this one, only the eyeshadow palettes. The packaging is amazing, it feels really sturdy and secure, and when opened, features a really good sized mirror for on the go application. Will definetly be picking up more of these in the future!

In anticipation of the Dream Bouncy Blushes coming to the UK, I compromised and purchased a Dream Touch Blush which I am yet to try. I can't find a colour name on it unfortunetly, but it's just a very pale pink. The consistancy is very creamy, and seems to be very blendable.

I don't want to talk to much about this as I am planning on doing a whole blog post on MUA make up, as I think some people may be wary about trying some of the products due to most of them only costing £1... But I definetly recommend the products! This lipstick is in Shade 11, and is a very dark pink, sort of drifting over to a more brown shade.

The final thing I bought from Superdrug was a Colour Sensational lipstick by Maybelline. This colour is called Coral Pearl, but personally I think its more a pinky colour that coral. These lipsticks are very long lasting and come in a large shade range, so you should definetly pick one or two up if you can!

*This picture is not my own, it is taken from a review site, however it does state on the website that people are allowed to use the images for promotional/review purposes*

Sadly, I couldn't get my camera to make this product show up true to colour, and I didn't want to give you guys the wrong impression of it! This is the first mineralise eyeshadow I have purchased from Mac. This is called Water & Ice, and when mixed, comes up as a very silvery colour, with flecks of blue. I worn it yet, but I imagine like all other mac shadows, it has great staying power.

Top 5 lip balms!

Lip balms are definetly something that every girl owns at least one of, even girls that aren't interested in make up have a craving for an amazing lip balm.

The criteria for a lip balm is pretty basic; it's got to do the main job - keep your lips soft and smooth, you want one that easily applied for on the go touch ups, and a fragrance/taste is optional.

Top 5 lip balms i've tried

5.  Nivea Pearly Shine

I actually wish that I could put this lip balm higher up on the list, but I don't feel that it serves its main purpose as an actual lip balm, and more as a lip colour. I love the pinky-shine it gives to your lips, but if your lips are already chapped it only accentuates the cracks on the lips. I also think it has a really sickly, overbearing smell/taste and usually ended up wiping it off.

4. Vaseline Aloe Vera

I was actually quite hesitant to include any Vaseline products in this list because they really are only a quick fix soloution. They don't soak in to your lips, giving them the benefits, they sit on top due to their greasy nature, its good if you're lips need a quick fix, but theres definetly other products out there, that work 100x better.

3. L'occitane Delice Des Fruits

I actually got this lip balm through a voucher in Glamour magazine, and i'm really glad I did! I think this brand is really under rated by many people and dosen't seem to get the attention it deserves. The actual product smelt delicious! And it was definetly long lasting, and great at maintaining soft lips, I also thought it was amazing to apply after exfoliating my lips. May be a little bit of a steep at £8.50, but the quality is incredibly high as it only contains natural products!

2. Nivea Hydro Care

OH MY DAYS I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS. This has seriously became the most amazing lip balm for dry lips I have ever tried in my life, and i've certainly been round the block with chapsticks.  When I used this, I was going through a really bad stage with my lips, they were cracked beyond where my lips stopped, it was horrible, and I was incredibly self concious towards it, but after a few days of religiously applying this, my lips were as good as new, I really recommend this to anyone  who has problems with dry lips!

1. The Body Shop Lip Scuff

This is the best thing to ever happen to me.  I feel like my favoure lip balm has to be one that I use on a regular basis, and this, I do. I use it at least once, most often before I go to bed. It was £8, but its incredibly high quality, The Body Shop always does sell amazing products. The formula is very creamy, but has large chunks in it, I really can't say what of because I have no idea, but it bloomin' works. Its harsh enough to rub away and dead skin, but not too harsh that it hurts your lips. You should definetly consider purchasing this product.

I hope you guys enjoyed this quick 'review' of some lip balms! I tried to include some cheap ones, and some more expensive ones, and if I didn't mention the price, it means its really cheap, most likely under £4! Enjoy!

Review : elf eye primer

I am usually quite a fan of ELF products, i've tried eyeshadows, nail polishes, even a loose face powder, and ever time i've been really happy with the quality of the product.

Give the company its due respect, for the incredibly cheap prices the products are of fantastic quality, however after purchasing the ELF eyelid primer, i've definetly been reminded that you get what you pay for with things like this.

When I first recieved the product, I was actually quite happy, the formula was a little greasy feeling, but the colouring was great, it matched my skin tone perfectly and wasnt visible, it definetly have my eye a 'smoother' complexion. I was doubtful at first, but it actually did help my eyeshadow and eyeliner stay on much longer that it would without primer. Of course it wasn't to the standard of Urban Decay Primer Potion, but for £1.50, I thought it was a miracle product.

It wasn't till using the product for a further week or two that it started to cause problems. I woke up one morning and my left eye was really itchy, it was also quite red, theres was no really visible indication that there was something wrong, but my eye was definetly irritated from something. I thought nothing of it at the time and done my make up as I usually did. I applied my 'miracle product' and everything else, and left for school. During the day, my eye was becoming more and more irritated feeling and I was rubbing at it constantly.

Over the next few days, my eye worsened. The on my left eyelind became incredibly dry and flaky, just as my right eye was beginning also to become itchy and irritated. More fool me, I carried on using the product, thinking it was just the cold weather chapping at my skin. I actually got the flu just as my eyes were at there worst, and over my 2 weeks of sickness and not applying make up, my eyes cleared up. After talking to my Mum about what could of been causing it, we decided it would be best if I boycotted the Primer for a week or 2 after going back to school to see how my eye went.

And surprise surprise, it actually didn't become horrible and dry again. I have since binned the primer and plan on never buying a product like that from ELF again.

So, bit of advice, things like primer are definetly something you should be prepared to spend a little bit more money on, or none at all, because most of the cheap ones I think, are only going to waste your money, and not give you the full benefit of what primer can do for your daily make up routine.