Maybelline Superstay 10hr Stain Gloss in Lasting Pink

If you follow us on twitter you'll have probably heard me mention the Maybelline 10hr glosses. I absolutely love them. I originally picked up Forever Fuchsia (reviewed here) and absolutely loved the colour and formulation of it.

The packaging is simple with colour coded lids so it's easy to grab the colour you want if you have more than one of the shades.

I love the shape of this applicator with the well in the middle. This helps to get a neater application as there isn't as much product at the edges so you can get a neat line around the lips.

Photos taken with flash

The glosses are very pigmented and can have a really glossy finish. I like that if you only apply one coat it isn't too glossy so it can be as glossy as you like.

The colour lasting pink I think is a bit more red than it applies. It can look pink in some lights but I'd say it was more of a red with a pink base.

Taken in natural light.

I do find lasting pink colour isn't as long lasting as forever fuchsia.

I love this one as much as the first and prefer these to the apocalips. They don't stain as much as the apocalips but i find they are a softer texture, apply neater and find they don't transfer to my teeth like the apocalips do.

I really want the other three and may have to treat myself soon. They retail for £6.99 and I find the tubes last ages.

Have you tried these?

Love M

xxx

Review: Urban Decay All Nighter Make Up Setting Spray

I'd had my eye on this Setting Spray from Urban Decay for quite some time before M got it for me for my birthday (woohoo!)

I'm always looking for products that will make my make up last longer and stop the shine from appearing and allowing my make up to slide down my face.
I'm sure most of us are the same when it comes to looking for products like these!

We both tried to get our hands on this product over Christmas time but because they were being repackaged it was near impossible and after a few weeks of trying I gave up, so it was a LUSH surprise when M gave this to me! Along with some essential Soap and Glory goodies too, I was spoilt!

Here's the blurb on the side of the box...

I love the colours they've used for this, the effect is so simple and I used this type of effect in my art GCSE sketchbooks so the writing and presentation wasn't boring but didn't take away from the product.

I also like that they've given you tips to apply the product in an X and T formation, which other similar products leave out.

Not only are there good instructions but also a list of stats from a 7 day study which sound promising!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand is if that wasn't enough the spray is oil and paraben free and utilises temperature control technology. What on earth more could you ask for!

So moving onto the packaging of the product, the colours follow on from the box and are kept really simple. I love simple as I'm always mentioning and  this is exactly what I like.
Each setting spray has a different colour; Chill is a cooling and hydrating spray and is lilac in colour, All Nighter is purple (shown below) and is for long lasting make up, and De Slick is grey and for oil control.

The spray is SO simple to use and a joy to apply, the X and T formation is very easy to understand covers the face after 2 goes but I do apply quite a bit as it's so soothing!
It's such a nice feeling as the liquid sinks in and feels like its hydrating my make up and 'setting' it at the same time.

My skin has been very confusing as of late and although I do still have the oily T zone I also have dehydrated skin which needs constant hydration. This was the best spray for me to have as my skincare is compensating for the oily/dehydrated issues and I just need help keeping my make up on my face for longer.

I would say this definitely helps to keep my make up looking fresher for longer. I've tried it at work and on nights out and it's a joy to apply.
I've compared it to Collection's Fix Me Up spray as well and can definitely say that this Setting spray works better as my make up lasted longer without shine appearing when it normally would have. It also works out better on cost too, when comparing size and price.

For 100ml of Collection's Fix me up it would cost you £33.28, but for Urban Decay's Setting Sprays it would only cost you £27.
I know which one I will be picking up!

Have you tried setting sprays? Which is your favourite from Urban Decay?

L xxx

Review: Bourjois Mineral Radiance Pressed Powder

I've written this post many times, and blogger seem to want to delete it.

So instead of attempting to remember what I wrote before, my review will be brief as I can't keep writing about the same product for the post to disappear!

Recently I've been using my Mac Pressed Powder which is awesome, but I've hit the pan so damn fast that I can't justify buying it all the time.

So the Mac remains in my make up bag for when I go out or when I feel like I'm having a crappy day and need cheering up...

For general day to day wear, I thought I'd try this, Bourjois Mineral Radiance Pressed Powder:

It's a third of the price of the Mac pressed powder and seems to be lasting 5 times longer!

This seems to be a very good random buy on my part, as I was at the end of my tether and bought the first pressed powder I saw haha.

This has a very strong floral powdery scent, which was a little weird to me

It reminds me of old people, which in itself isn't a bad thing, just surprising as I didn't expect it

It comes with a powder puff inside which I don't generally use when I apply my make up first thing, but keep there in case of emergencies when I'm out and about.

It also has a mirror inside, which I suppose is a standard thing.

This product isn't the same quality as the Mac pressed powder, but it isn't far off and for a third of the price it is definitely worth it.

It did last me a long time during the day but my skin is so oily that it needs to be repowdered throughout the day anyway, I've come to terms with this!

Their colour range is pretty good also, and although I wasn't sure which one to go for, when my skin has it's weird days of being super pale and then being a more human colour this powder seems to work.

I've also tested it out at the gym which I find is always a good test.

I applied it in the morning as usual and then in the afternoon after working in the lab went to the gym and it kept my make up in place even with all of the sweating.

(I know you're supposed to take your make up off when you gym but I just can't do it, I feel far too naked and my skin just isn't good enough)

So there we have it, if you love Mac but can't afford the price tag all the time, save it for special occasions and I'm sure this one will fulfill your needs in between :)

Have you tried any other pressed powders?

I couldn't really find many on the market so am interested to know!

L xxx

Review: MAC Pro LongWear

Another foundation review today for you guys, as I'm sure you'll have noticed by now from the foundation reviews we have both been hunting for the perfect foundation for sometime now. I didn't mind if it was high end or high street. I just wanted something that would actually last all day and not slip off and go too shiny.

Introducing MAC Pro LongWear (my MAC Haul from that day can be found here) I picked up this foundation to try.

After a chat with the make up artist we decided this would be the best one to try. She colour matched me and applied it all for me! I was instantly sold. It looked flawless on, not caked on but a good coverage to it. I loved how she applied so much I had to buy the brush she used too. This is 168, the large angled contour brush, more used for blush and contouring cheeks but it makes it brilliant foundation brush too. This is my first MAC brush and although they are expensive (£26.00) I'm really impressed with the quality and the finish of my foundation this gives. I find I can go about 4 days before it clogs up to which is great (I don't have time to wash my brushes more than once a week).

Onto the foundation.....

It comes in a glass bottle (I like foundation in glass bottles, not ideal I guess if you travel but it feels more luxurious to me), I like the classic black lid and the fact it's a pump. The lid and pump are built in one, another feature I like as I lose lids easily. You just twist the top to use and then twist it back after to make sure it doesn't accidentally come out in your bag. I find I need about two pumps for my face and that will last me all day.

As you can see it's a nice liquid consistency not to thick not running off my arm. I've used this arm so my mole can be used as a reference to the after picture to see the coverage.

Here it is all buffed in. I love this as it's not a matte foundation. Even though I have oily skin I wanted something that would last without a matte finish. This does the job. It looks really natural on and doesn't feel too heavy on the skin.

It retails at £22.50 and while it's not the cheapest I still think it's affordable. I can't wait to try studio fix and matchmaker to see how the compare to this.

I'm impressed.

Have you tried MAC foundations? Which one do you use?

Love M

xxx


I have bought Studio Fix Powder many times, but never bought a foundation from Mac for some unknown reason. I always used a cheapy from Rimmel and the like and then put my Studio Fix powder over the top to set it. It was easily transportable in my hand bag for touch ups during the day too which is always a must.


Oh if only my skin played so nicely now!


Nowadays my skin feels more oily than it did when I was an actual teenager, no idea why this is but it usually ends up with my foundation that was pretty perfect in the morning sliding across my face into patches and settling in all the nooks and crannies making me look like I have wrinkles.
(My skin isn't 100% line free and they seem to be appearing suddenly but I am only 24 so they shouldn't be showing!)


This foundation however delivered all of the things it promised, it applied like a dream with a medium coverage, had a normal finish (not too matte and not too dewy) and lasted the longest a foundation has ever lasted, I was instantly sold!


As you know we've both been on the quest for the perfect foundation and Mac seems to be holding its place in the top spot for now, I've recently bought their skin base primer as well to see how this fares in the test for longevity. 


Th only unfortunate thing that I can think of to say about this foundation is the colour difference between NW20 and NW25.
My skin is very very slightly darker than M's so I was colour matched to a NW25.
But as the weeks have gone by since our purchases it seems that NW25 is too dark for my skin and I could do with a lighter shade, however NW20 washes me out.


At this point in time I have little money and so I'll be applying tan to my face so that I can wear it, and I'm not too bothered as the results are 100% worth it, just as an honest review I felt it should be mentioned!


Also, contains SPF 10! A foundation with SPF, woo! This is always an added bonus :)


L xxx