This or that? Tagtime!

I love doing tags, especially beauty ones. I think they're fun, lighthearted and if I enjoy reading then hopefully you will too! I got this particular tag from Beaumaquillagex.

Makeup

1. Blush or bronzer? Blush. At the moment I don't own a decent bronzer. I love using peachy coral blushes with a hint of golden shimmer which add warmth to my face.

2. Lipgloss or lipstick? Lipstick. I prefer having my lip products stay put for a long time and love how intense lipstick colours are.

3. Chapstick or lip butter? Definitely my lip butter. I adore Revlon Lip Butters and can't wait to purchase some more!

4. Matte or sparkle eye shadow? Ideally a shadow with a metallic look or a slight subtle glow rather than a shimmer. I think sparkles are really unflattering on my eyes.

5. Eyeliner or mascara? Definitely mascara, I won't leave the house without it on! It just makes you look so much more awake and put together. I'd rather not wear foundation than not wear mascara.

6. Gel, liquid, cream or pencil eyeliner? Probably pencil due to the smudgey effect they give. Liquid is a little too precise for me and I've never tried the other two. A good, soft pencil is hard to beat.

8. Liquid or powder foundation? Normally I'd say liquid, but I adore my bareMinerals powder foundation!

9. Neutral or statement eyes? I normally play safe with neutral, but I love bold eyes if they are done well!

10. Pressed or loose shadow? Pressed. I think you get more for your money and I'm yet to see someone come out with a palette of loose shadows.

11. Waterproof or non-waterproof? Non-waterproof. Waterproof products just take so long to take off and take piles of rubbing and scrubbing. Seeing as I don't have problems with makeup smudging, and I'm not generally out in the rain, I just don't see the point!

12. Brush, sponges or fingers? Brushes! Just don't see the point in sponges as they absorb half the product and fingers make makeup all smeary and I try to avoid touching my face with my hands in order to avoid breakouts.

13. Powder, cream or liquid highlighter? Liquid. I like to dab a few dots of it on my cheekbones and browbone and just think liquid highlighters give a much more natural glow.

14. Contouring or no contouring? I currently don't contour my face, but I'm really interested in starting!

15. Red, bright or nude lips? None. I'm into rosy, corally lips.

Nails

1. OPI or Essie? Haven't tried either!

2. Acrylic or natural? Natural. Acrylics absolutely destroy your own nails!

3. Brights or darks? Brights. I wear brights all year round, very rarely do I use dark nail polishes.

4. Matte or shiny? I haven't bought a matte topcoat yet, but I do love matte looks. Especially matte glitter looks!

5. Glitter or no glitter? I adore glitter. So much. Hate it on my face, love it on my nails! I just wish it was easier to remove!

6. Short, medium or long? Medium. I'm pretty busy and active, so I find long nails break too easily. Also, no one likes claws!

Body

1. Perfume or body spray? Definitely perfume. I'd rather have a scent on just my neck and wrists rather than all over my body and perfume lasts a lot longer.

2. Lotion or body butter? Body butter. I'm normally lazy with moisturising my body, so whenever I do get around to it, I like a really deep treatment that will last longer! I also love the way body butters smooth onto the skin and slowly sink in, without leaving a greasy, wet residue like a lotion.

3. Body wash or soap? Body wash. I've always been told that soap isn't great for your skin, so I try to avoid it at all costs.

4. Self tanners, tanning salon or au naturale? Self tanners. I have legs that seem to reject all fake tan, so being able to top up at home is a bonus for me. Anyone who has any tips for making fake tan stay on your legs? Let me know!

5. Body brush, exfoliating glove or body scrub? Body scrub. I think it gives the best exfoliation and smells great!

Fashion.

1.  Jeans or sweat pants? Jeans - although I would never leave the house in them, I do love my sweats and live in them at home!

2. Long sleeve or short? Generally short. I find long sleeves get in the way and can look a little frumpy.

3. Dresses or skirts? I love dresses, mostly because you don't have to find a matching top to go with them! I'm not lazy... I swear. Seriously though, I love how dresses give you a feminine look and come in so many styles to suit every body shape.

4. Stripes or plaid? Stripes. Plaid is ugly. Haters gon' hate.

5. Flip flops or sandals? Sandals, flip flops kill my feet! I wish I could walk around in flip flops all day, but the blisters they give me are crazy.

6. Scarves or hats? Don't really wear either to be honest!

7. Studs or dangly earrings? Dangly earrings! I think they're gorgeous! However, if I had my ears pierced I'd probably stick to mainly studs. I'm always moving around and being active and would end up getting my earrings caught in everything.

8. Necklaces or bracelets? Bracelets. I find necklaces just get caught in my hair or clothes and annoy me. Probably due to the aforementioned 'can't sit still' problem I have.

9. Heels or flats? Heels for going out, flats for daytime. My feet would be wrecked if I wore heels every day.

Hair.

1. Curly or straight? Wavy is definitely my favourite look. I just wish I could achieve it easier with my thick, long hair.

2. Bun or ponytail? Probably bun. As my hair is getting longer, pony tails look a bit strange and tickle the back of my neck, which drives me mad. I've been practicing doing messy buns around the house - not sure if I'm ready to brave the outside world yet though!

3. Long or short? Long! I've been growing my hair all summer and I'm about an inch away from my ideal length. If you'd like tips on maintaining long hair - let me know!


I tag all my followers to do this tag! Link me your answers in the comments below! x

MUA Wishlist!

I've decided to start doing some pictorial wishlists on my blog based on different brands, trends etc. I've found some great products through reading other people's wishlists, so I thought I'd post my own for my lovely followers!

So, to start off this new series I thought I'd start with everyone's favourite budget beauty brand... Make Up Academy (MUA).

1. Pearl Eyeshadow in Shade 11
2. Extreme Metallic Quad in Go Getter
3. Trio Eyeshadow in Innocence
4. Nail Quake in Shockwaves
5. Blusher in Shade 2
6. Lip Liner in Red Drama
7. Gel Liner in Underground
8. Gel Liner in On Move
9. Out There Plumping Lipgloss in Pin Up Pink
10. Out There Plumping Lipgloss in Sienna
11. Lipgloss in Shade 2
12. Lipgloss in Shade 3
13. Glitter Nail Quake in Blue
14. Glitter Nail Quake in Gold
15. Lipstick in Shade 3
16. Lipstick in Shade 5
17. Intense Glitter Eyeliner in Gold Nugget
18. Intense Glitter Eyeliner in Malt Chocolate.

If I could choose only three products to receive, I would definitely choose the Intense Glitter Liner in Gold Nugget. After using my Bourjois Kohl and Contour liner in Brun/Caramel, I'm hooked on gold eyeliner! It really brightens up the eye area, without being too tacky. However, I'd love a more pigmented version, and I hope this MUA liner could be what I'm looking for.
I'd then reach for the Out There Plumping Lipgloss in Pin Up Pink. It is such a vibrant, pigmented shade which can be worn sheerly for a subtle tint or more opaquely for a real pop of colour.
Finally, I couldn't forget the Gel Liner in Underground. I've been on the look out for a gel liner for a while now, and I'd love to try this pocket friendly version!

What do you think of MUA? Let me know in the comments! x

Tag | My Makeup History

 As a little 'get to know me' post for the benefit of all my new followers (eek! exciting!) I thought I'd do the 'My Makeup History' tag. This will hopefully let you all get to know my skin type and makeup tastes a little better!

1. How long have you been wearing makeup?

I started wearing makeup when I was about 12 years old. This usually consisted of some brown or clear mascara and some eyeshadow for special events. I started wearing foundation regularly from the age of roughly 13 or 14 onwards. I was quite late onto the bandwagon with blush and bronzer - it wasn't until I was 16 that I really started taking makeup seriously!

2. What was your favourite makeup product in the beginning?

The first makeup product I ever bought was a brown Miss Sporty XX Volume mascara. I wore Max Factor Lasting Performance foundation for a while, before moving onto the famous Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse.

My first ever makeup purchase - how cute!
[Image from aiszaperfumy.pl]

3. What is your favourite makeup product now?

Either my Maybelline Express Volum mascara, my MUA Undressed Palette or my Collection 2000 concealer.

4. What were some of your favourite brands in the beginning?

I loved Natural Collection and Rimmel for makeup and Barry M for nail polish.

5. What are some of your favourite brands now?

I love bareMinerals for foundations and blusher, Maybelline for eyeshadow and mascara and MUA in general!

Words cannot describe my love for MUA!
[Image from vonvonsinterests.blogspot.co.uk]

6. How would you describe your makeup style?

Natural! I tend to go for a brown toned eyeshadow, with a coral blush and a natural lip. I'm a bit wary of very bright makeup looks, as I'm not sure whether they suit me or not!

7. What is your everyday makeup like?

bareMinerals powder foundation or Stila tinted moisturiser, with a bareMinerals primer, a few coats of mascara, a coral blush and a natural toned lip butter.

8. What is your going out makeup like?

I usually play it safe, but I'll add some darker browns into my eye looks, with perhaps some liquid liner and a more opaque lip. I'm still very timid though!

9. What makeup look are you known for?

A natural, flawless finish. (Concealer is a girl's best friend...)

10. What is the worst beauty crime you have committed?

I did go through a phase of wearing foundation that was too pale for me, with black eyeliner. I went through a 'scene' stage where I did the above and backcombed my hair. I was a cool kid, honest.

11. What is the worst beauty crime you are proud to have not committed?

Scouse brows! I detest girls who fill in their eyebrows too heavily, I think it just looks awful! I'll either fill mine in with a blonde or light brown shadow or just leave them.

Err... NOT a good look!

12. What is one beauty trend your were part of but now aren't a fan of?

The heavy black eyeliner. I find it just doesn't suit me now. I'm not sure whether it's my skin tone or my eye shape, but it just makes me look silly!

13. What is one trend you are proud to say you were never a part of?

Neon. I think neon is the tackiest, most awful thing ever. Neon nails are okay, but anything else is just disgusting!

14. What is one look you are unlikely to go for?

Probably bright eye looks. I'm very much a neutrals girl, not brave enough for anything else!

15. If you were brave enough to wear any look what would it be?

I'd love to wear bright lipstick and to be able to contour my cheekbones. With my ghostly pale skin however, that's never been an option for me.

Basically I just want to look like Zoe from Zoella. Can I be her, please?

16. An old Holy Grail product of yours?

The Maybelline Express Volum mascara - does what it says on the tin! Fab volume and length with no clumps. Sorted.

17. A new Holy Grail product of yours?

My MUA Mosaic Bronzer in Sunkissed glow. I bought it to use as a contour/typical bronzer but I've found it works amazingly as a natural blush if worn just below the cheekbones.

Stop what you're doing and admire this...

 ... oh my, someone pinch me.

This has to be one of the most perfect palettes I've seen in a long time. Just look at those shades. Admire them. Take them in. Oh my. Wow.

This beauty is the limited edition 'The September Issue' palette from bareMinerals' READY line of pressed powder cosmetics. Enough from me, let's hear what bareMinerals have to say about this gem:

"It's the biggest issue of the year in the fashion world. bareMinerals READY^TM Eyeshadow in The September Issue is your perfect palette for this season's 'in' colours.

It provides exceptionally vivid, long-wearing colour in an ultra smooth, silky texture for effortless application and seamless blendability. Powered by our proprietary SeaNutritive Mineral^TM Complex along with powerful antioxidants, cold-pressed borage oil, caffeine and cucumber-ingredients known to deliver anti-aging benefits including reduced look of puffiness and antioxidant protection for a softer, smoother, revitalized eye area. It looks like a powder but feels like a cream and delivers a beautifully smooth application of vivid, long-wearing colour."

Some claims, eh? As a bit of a bareMinerals junkie, I can definitely agree with the claims that their products "look like a powder but feel like a cream". Their foundations and blushes buff into the skin so smoothly, turning into a velvet finish with very good pigmentation. I've never tried any of their eyeshadows however, as they've always been out of my price range. 

Onto the most important bit - the shades!

Please note, the image above is computer generated and therefore makes all the shades seem matte. As I don't own this palette, I couldn't take my own images. See the first image for a better representation of the shades.

The shades are as follows: Couture - a dark bronzy wooden shade; Silhouette - a milky cream highlight shade; Statement - a vibrant bright purple with golden shimmer; Pret-A-Porter - a true gold with shimmer; Très Chic - a matte shade of warm champagne; Editor's Pick - a deep seaweed teal; Glitterati - a really girly baby pink and finally Ensemble - a dark smokey purple.

This palette is bang on trend with this season's Autumn/fall looks. I'm just imagining the colourful smokey eyes and colour blocking looks I could do with this baby. The only drawback? The price. £35.00 for eight shadows? Ouch.

Well, a girl can dream, right? xx

Birthday Haul!

It was my birthday recently, and I had a blast! Had a load of my friends over, went for dinner with them and went to the spa the next day - bliss! I thought I'd show you a few of the things I was given, as I'm really excited about using some of these products. I'm not here to show off, just to say a big thank you to my friends for being lovely!

Some of the non-beauty related items I received were New Look vouchers (which I cannot wait to spend on new jumpers for autumn), a handy technic mirror and a horcrux locket! Any diehard Harry Potter fans like me will know that Voldemort had a horcrux in the form of a locket and my friend Ben bought me a replica for my birthday - he knows me too well!

I now own a Jack Wills nail file. This is exciting. I'm planning on bringing it out while in public places and watching the popular girls swarm towards me... or not. Seriously though, I really needed a new nail file, and as well as this one being really pretty it actually does a fantastic job of shaping my nails.
The Rimmel Pro Matte Finish topcoat was something I've had my eye on for a while, but never would part with the money to buy it. It was an amazing gift which I've been using daily - matte nails look great for autumn, especially when teamed with dark nail polish.
I don't yet have my ears pierced, despite contemplating it for months, but since receiving these earrings I'm sorely tempted to! The picture doesn't do them justice, they are beautiful diamond look earrings that are clean and sparkly without being tacky, right up my street.

And finally the one I was most excited about... I finally own an Undressed palette! This beauty has been sold out at my local Superdrug for months, so I haven't been able to get my hands on it until now! The shades are far more gorgeous than I hoped - I'm really into warm champagne and rose golds so to find not one but four of these shades made my day. Also the inclusion of the two darker shades was a really nice touch. I especially love the blue toned shade which creates a fab smoky eye without being too harsh!

Shades

To conclude, I'm over the moon with the presents I was given. I can't wait to do some new eye and nail looks with them, as well as hopefully getting my ears pierced... wish me luck! xx

The results are in... Isadora 30 Day Dynamic Lash Growth Challenge! *

It's been 30 days, and I'm so excited to tell you guys all about how I've gotten on with the Isadora Dynamic Lash Growth system! I've already written a blog post explaining the products in depth (click here to view) but basically the system contains a mascara and a serum infused with potent peptides which increases the natural growth of your lashes - what's not to love?

Mascara

Serum

 

 

I have been using the mascara during the day instead of my normal mascara, and the serum at night as the final step in my skincare routine. Both products are so easy to work with - just apply them as you would a normal mascara. It literally takes seconds, which is fantastic when you have patience as limited as mine!

The mascara itself is a very nice product. It does a fantastic job of separating every individual lash and can provide either a very natural or a very dramatic look depending on how much you apply. I'm a girl who is very into volume, but hates clumpy lashes, so I'm hard to please but I find this product does a fantastic job at lengthening and separating and an average job at creating volume - I find it can become a little clumpy in the process until you get used to using it.
However, part of this was due to the fact I wasn't used to plastic wands such as this, once I've gotten used to it, I'm a convert! They are fantastic at picking up the tiny baby hairs at the edges of your eyes and coating them evenly - they really make your eyes pop!

The serum is in similar packaging to the mascara, and has an identical wand. It does just as great a job of separating the lashes and ensuring each tiny lash gets covered in the product. As for the serum itself, it is nicely thick without being gloopy and dries reasonably quickly - no worries about it rubbing off onto your eyebrows, that wouldn't be a good look!
One thing I love about the packaging of both the mascara and the serum is that they both have click to lock closures - keep twisting the lid on until it clicks to create a fully airtight seal - this ensures that your mascaras last far longer without drying out. What a great idea!

And now onto the pictures... *drumroll*

Before

Now, before I get a lot of hate - I know my eyelashes were always fairly long. However, they had taken a lot of a beating from using waterproof mascara daily. Note how uneven the lashes are - particularly on the left eye. Also, my lashes had lost nearly all of their curl and were weak and brittle.

After!

In this picture I have just taken off my mascara (my eyelashes are still a little clumpy from being wet, woops!) and as you can see, my lashes are looking a lot better after using the system. It hasn't worked miracles, and I didn't expect it to, but it has definitely made my lashes thicker, stronger and more healthy. Also, my left eye's lashes are now catching up with my right eye - they have definitely grown in the past 30 days!

After - using the mascara

 As you can see, the mascara coats the lashes evenly and adds even more length - a fab choice if you have shorter lashes! In fact, the left eye's lashes look nearly longer than the right! Mascaras can work miracles!

The mascara after 8 hours of wear - not bad!

All in all, I really believe this system works. While it's not going to turn your lashes from smurfs into supermodels, it definitely will speed up the natural growth process. My lashes have definitely benefited from using this system and I will continue to use this on a daily basis for the foreseeable future!

Find out more about Isadora's Dynamic Lash Growth System by checking out their website here: Isadora Global

Review | Heaven and Earth Palette

 I know I'm a little late on the bandwagon with this post, but I have gotten so much use out of this palette in the past few months that I had to mention it! MUA are famous for their superbly high quality cosmetics at extremely affordable prices - who could say no to twelve eyeshadows for £4? Definitely not me anyway!

The Heaven and Earth palette is MUA's first take on the Urban Decay Naked Palette. It contains a collection of the lighter shades from the Naked Palette, focusing on soft browns and sandy shades, with a few darker taupes and a gold shade. Basically, this palette is everything you need to create your standard neutral eye.

Shades with flash - personally I think this gives a better representation of the colours.

 The packaging of the palette is very sturdy and practical. It definitely does not reflect the very modest price of the product. Its pans are circular in shape which I personally love - the less product contaminating its neighbours the better! It does come with a dual ended applicator, but I very rarely use this. One use I have found for this applicator is for applying eyeshadow on top of your eyeliner to set it. This means your eyeliner lasts much longer - especially on your waterline.

No flash

 The consistency of these shadows is generally very good. A small amount of fallout does occur, which can make the palette look quite messy. However, this very rarely translates on to the eyes themselves which I appreciate. The lightest shade on the top left can be a little chalky, but if blended smoothly into the skin it loses some of this texture and becomes a lot smoother. The rest of the shadows are of a smooth consistency and texture which I am a big fan of. The eyeshadows also last for an extremely long time on my eyes.

Swatched in the same order they appear in the palette

As for the shades themselves, I think they are lovely! The top left shade is a gorgeous browbone highlight, the third from the right on the top row is beautiful as a warm, golden base for your shadows and the second from the right on the bottom row and the shade on the far right of the bottom row are both great for defining your crease and even creating a slightly 'smokey' effect. The only shades I'm not as impressed with are the third from the left on the top row and the farthest right on the top row.  The former can be rather yellow toned and 'dirty' looking, while the latter is slightly too orange based for my skin tone and I find it hard to blend. A real cracker is the second from the left on the bottom row - I use this shade on my eyebrows!

All in all, this is a fantastic product at an amazing price! It was my first eyeshadow palette and in my opinion is a great starter kit. Definitely check this out next time you're in Superdrug!

The MUA Heaven and Earth palette is available from Superdrug or the MUA store for £4.00.