MAC Desert Camouflage Full Face Kit

Hi all!

Hope you've got the Friday feeling...if not don't worry as there's plenty of time to get it and countdown your hours until you're free!

I had a bit of a spend in Cosmetics Company Outlet in Swindon a few weeks ago when me and M met up with the lovely Sasha from Ramblings of a Beauty Bird.

One item I picked up was MAC's Desert Camouflage Full Face Kit.

I'm not sure how long this kit has been out for, or when it was first released but as soon as I saw it I had to have it.

I loved the eyeshadows as it was, but the fact it was a full face kit meant it also contained a cremeblend blush which was a lovely addition to the palette and I was so excited to use it.

I loved the packaging as always, black, simplistic and very me. I always think that products like this are more expensive looking too.

So here are the eyeshadows for you to drool over like I did:

What a perfect combo!
For a day look I used the lighter colour for all over the lid, the bottom left for my crease and the black to line my eyes.
For an evening look I repeat this and also use the top right shadow to add a bit more a gold shimmer to the look.

The cremeblush is more of a cremebronzer in my opinion, but this is exactly what attracted me to it. It's so easy to blend and is the perfect colour to help sculpt your face for a softer but defined look..

The eyeshadow colours can be seen swatched on my arm below, the first is without flash and the second with:

These are mostly true to colour but the black is a lot pigmented when applying it with a brush so it looks a lot darker.
The cremeblush you can see on the back of my hand below, the second picture shows it blended:

This has been great for an easy look in the mornings, just takes a little blending and voila, beautiful cheekbones.

Here are the colours on the eye, (excuse my brows, this was pre-waxing!):

Above in the picture the lightest colour has been applied to the lid, and a small amount of gold applied to the centre.
Below left shows the darker shade applied to the crease and outer lid, and below right with the black shadow along the lash line.



I absolutely love the look that the palette creates, the colours are great for day and evening and the neutral colours are flattering for everyone.

What do you think of the full face kit?

Do you like the neutral colours and cremeblush (bronzer)?

I do love a kit, and especially when they come from MAC!

L xxx

Essie: Cashmere Bathrobe

Good morning!!

If you're anything like me you're a sucker for limited edition things and particularly collections. I'm awful for wanted whole nail polish collections, which is exactly why companies bring them out because they know!

This year I am determined to own Essie's winter collection. Having seen a number of pictures online I am loving the colours and simplicity of the shades available. I reall like Essie as a brand anyway, they seem to have the widest variety of shades I've ever seen particularly nudes and I'd just love to own them all! One day....

I picked up a few from the new winter collection in Boots but one get one half price offer recently.

The first one I tried was Cashemere Bathrobe. Having seen pictures from Amelia who writes Duckling to Swan I knew I needed it!

The colour is a dark grey with a slight shimmer to it. Its quite hard to describe as its not glittery but does have some small particles in it which reflect light. You might not even notice that it had these unless you looked closely.

Its a really simple colour that will go with a lot of outfits and occasions, I can see myself using it a lot over autumn and winter and probably all the time!

Its the perfect alternative to a red or black where they may be too bold or dark. 

In these photos I used two coats and a top coat and it applied perfectly. I normally get some around my nails however hard I try not to but with this one I didn't. Its perfectly opaque in two coats and seems to be a lasting a decent amount of time!

My nails normally chip within a day at work but these did last a while longer which is what I've come to expect from Essie polishes.

I really love this colour and cannot wait to use the next one I've bought and hopefully get the others I've got my eye on as well!

L xxx

NOTD Orly Moonlit Madness

As the nights are getting darker and the weather is becoming colder I've started reaching for my autumn/winter nail polish colours. Last night I decided to raid my stash for a nail polish I'd yet to try. I don't have a clue where this one came from. I'm going to assume I probably inherited it (borrowed without returning) from my mum!

I've not tried an Orly nail polish before and this is the only one in my collection. Lately I've been lovely metallic shades and this one just drew me in. The bottle is huge and one that will definitely last a while.

Moonlit Madness is a gorgeous deep wine red shade with a shimmer throughout. The perfect winter red shade that's got a good depth to it. I found it hard to photograph true to shade and find it's one of those polishes that looks different in different lights.

I find sometimes it looks more red and others looks like it's got a pinky tone to it. I do love the way it looks and I always feel more glamorous with a colour like this on. I've especially loved pairing this polish with my Kate Moss 107 lipstick which I've been loving all over again this past month. (review of the full range here)

I was really impressed with the Orly polish. The brush was easy to control and for once I didn't make a huge mess of my nails. It was opaque in 2 coats and the formula was a great consistency and easy to work with.

So far I am chip free but it's only been on just over a day. The only thing I didn't like was the actually finish of the polish. For me I wanted it more glossy so I added a generous layer of top coat to it.

Have you tried Orly polishes? You can pick this one up from Amazon and Look Fantastic.

Love M

xxx

Ebay Beauty Blender Dupes

I'd seen so many reviews on the beauty blender and so many people saying it was amazing I just had to get one. Especially after I was having issues applying my Illamasqua skin base and a beauty blender sponge was recommended.

I'm someone who's always after a bargain and spending £10+ on what is essentially a sponge is something I couldn't do, especially after I'd heard they do need throwing away regularly as they don't wash well.

After being suggested ebay dupes I straight away ordered one. I have heard that the pink one's work the best and some of the others don't swell up in the same one so that's something to consider (sorry if it was you who suggested this on twitter I can't remember who it was now).

Dry and wet of the sponge I don't like. As you can see from comparing the leaf it's next too it's barely changed size.

I've since ordered two sponges from eBay and was disappointed to find one was amazing and one wasn't! Apparently all the ones from china aren't the same. Lesson learnt there.

The first one I got was amazing, super soft, swelled up well when wet, and was light and spongey. The second one didn't seem to swell when wet and feel tougher and stiffer. It makes it harder to apply to the skin and doesn't give quite an amazing finish.

Original sponge dry and the sponge I don't like wet

I love the shape of the sponge as it has a pointed end which is great for getting in around the nose and under the eye area.

The beauty blenders work when wet. Under the tap they should swell to almost double in size then you need to squeeze out all the water so it's just damp. Using the beauty blenders does mean that you use more product but for the flawless finish it gives I can forgive it.

Original sponge wet. You can see how much this one has grown when it's wet.

The big downside to using this type of sponge is the fact you can't really clean it. From the first time you use it, it will be stained. I've tried various different soaps and was it immediately after use and just can't get it clean. If you have any tips I'd love to know.

Though I have been using it for a month and I am yet to break out. Some people have found they have broken out using them but I always wash it after use with anti bacterial soap to help prevent this. It's still in good condition but I probably will throw it soon.

I'm so converted to these sponges and I don't mind that it uses more product as the finish it leaves is amazing. As they cost just over £1 delivered I don't mind if I have to throw it away every 6-8 weeks.

This is seller I bought the amazing one from in pink and was £1.03 (now reduced to 99p). This is the seller I bought the one from that didn't swell as well and wasn't as soft!. Both images look the same so beware if you switch sellers as the sponges may not always be the same. I'm hoping my first one wasn't a fluke.

Have you tried the beauty blender or the dupes? I'd love to compare the RT one to these.

Love M

xxx