NYX Mega Shine Lip Glosses - Review & Swatches - Part 1

Hi Everyone!

I thought that it would be fun to share my (embarrassingly) large collection of NYX Mega Shine lipglosses with you all! As you can see I am a huge fan of these glosses! They all smell and look great on the lips and are not sticky. I use some of them alone and some over lipsticks!

(Top to Bottom) Baby Rose, Sugar Pie, Crystal Soda, Sweet Heart

(Top to Bottom) Candy Shop, French Kiss, Nude Pink

Baby Rose: Pale, milky-rose

Sugar Pie: Peachy nude

Crystal Soda: Pale peachy-nude.

Sweet Heart: Frosty pinky-peach

Candy Shop: Coral pink

French Kiss: Pink with gold undertones

Nude Pink: Nude pink!

(L to R) Baby Rose, Sugar Pie, Crystal Soda, Sweet Heart, Candy Shop, French Kiss, Nude Pink

I purchase my NYX lipglosses from the following retailers for around £7 each:

NYX UK

Love Make-up

Cocktail Cosmetics

As my collection is quite large I decided to split it into two posts so look out for part 2 coming soon!

Maz x

Urban Decay Naked 2 Eyeshadow Palette - Review & Swatches

Hi Everyone!

It's here! It's finally here! Obviously I am talking about the long awaited Naked 2 palette from Urban Decay which has just been released at Debenhams here in the UK! I loved the first/ original Naked Palette (click here to read my review) and was very excited when I heard that a second Naked Palette was in the making!
This palette is of a similar size to the first one but is made from a tin-like material rather than the faux velvet covered card. The lid closes shut much more firmly than the first. There is a decent sized mirror on the inside of the lid and a compartment to store the brush in.

COLOUR DESCRIPTIONS:

Foxy: Pale, matte beige - This makes a great highlighter colour for my skin (MAC NW20).

Half Baked: Coppery brown with golden shimmer sheen - I love this colour and it is also in the first Naked Palette.

Bootycall: Peachy white-beige - This is another great highlight colour, depending on your skintone. I also like to use it all over the lid for a bright, daytime look.

Chopper: Medium orange-red toned brown with copper shimmer - I love this colour but it is quite flaky to apply. This is also in the Ammo palette  and is apparently one of Kim Kardashian's favourite shadows!

Tease: Mauve brown - I really like this medium brown colour and that it has a matte finish.

Snakebite: Dark brown with golden shimmer - This is a little similar to Darkhorse from the first Naked Palette but not as good in my opinion.

Suspect Champagne-bronze - This makes a great all over lid colour.

Pistol: Gray-brown - This is a great cool toned colour which helps to separate the two Naked palettes.

Verve: Pale beige-gray - This is a really shimmery, frosty shade which looks nice as an inner corner highlighter or when used on the centre of the lid to brighten up your look.

YDK: Coppery red-toned medium brown - This is a gorgeous frosty shade which looks great when used all over the lid for a more heavy, nighttime look.

Busted: Deep red-brown with golden undertones - This makes a great crease colour and smokes out well.

Blackout: Matte black - I love to have a matte black in an eyeshadow palette. This one is also in the Urban Decay 15th Anniversary palette.

SWATCHES SHOWN ON NW20 SKIN:

(L to R) Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite

(L to R) Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout

I am really impressed with the brush that comes with the palette as, I have found that many brushes that come with eyeshadow palettes are of pretty poor quality but this isn't! One end of the brush flat and has densely packed bristle which pack on the colour really well and the other end is much fuller and fluffier and great for applying crease colour and blending

Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Naked

The Lip Junkie Lipgloss comes in a mini sized and is described as 'Sheer neutral pink with white micro shimmer'. The gloss has a mint scent which is great for giving you fresher breath! To keep in with the 'Naked' theme I decided to get the Naked lipstick to! I have seen this used on a YouTube tutorial and really liked the look of it!

Urban Decay Naked Lipstick

Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss

GLOSS  AND LIPSTICK SWATCHES:

(Lto R) Naked Lipgloss, Naked Lipstick

Overall, I have to say that this palette did not disappoint! The shadows are all great quality and nicely pigmented. The palette has more cool toned and gray shadows than the first Naked palette does. So the burning question is: Do you need both? Well I think that if you liked the first palette you'll like this one! If you only want the one, I would perhaps go for this one, as you get 2 great highlighter shades and a matte black plus a selection of really nice gold, bronze and gray shades.

I purchased my palette from Debenhams for £36 and you can also purchase it from the official Urban Decay website for $50.

Maz x

Japonesque Travel Brushes Review

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to put a quick blog post together for you about a new range of make-up brushes that have recently been launched in Boots stores here in the UK. Japonesque aren't a very well known brand amongst consumers here but they offer really nice, high quality, professional brushes. I have been lucky enough to have been sent 3 of the face brushes from the collection and here are my thoughts:

Powder Brush

Powder Brush: This brush has been designed for the application of powders such as blushes, bronzers, pressed and loose powders. I really, really like this brush, the head is packed full of soft bristles. I have been using this to apply my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural and it does an amazing job. I previously used the MAC 150 and this is much softer. This is definitely my new favourite powder brush! This brush is priced at £29.95

Blush Brush: This brush is obviously designed for apply blush to your cheeks! I like this brush but would prefer it if it was slightly fuller. I usually use my MAC 129 brush to apply blush and the 129 is quite a bit fuller. The Japonesque brush is similar size and shape to the MAC 116 brush. This brush is great for blush but I prefer it for applying highlighter. This brush is priced at £24.

Angled Foundation Brush

Angled Foundation Brush: This is a really nice, smooth, full foundation brush. I wasn't sure that I would like the angled shape but it's actually great for achieving a more precise application. The brush applies and blends the foundation evenly and the tip is great for application around the eyes and nose. This brush is priced at £19.50

Overall, these brushes are great but very expensive. The travel sized handles are great and the brushes are top quality. As I am training to be a make-up artist I see brushes as an investment, I think that if you are really into make-up then they would make a great addition to your kit. You can purchase them from Boots

Disclaimer: Brushes where sent to me from the company as press samples. All of the opinions are my own.

Maz x

OPI Pink Friday & Save Me - Review & Swatches

Hi Everyone!

I painted my nails today with a couple of the new nail polishes from OPI's Nicki Minaj Collection. I really wanted to go for a sparkly, girlie look so I went for Pink Friday which is a 'Bubblegum Pink Creme' and then a layer of Save Me over it which is described as a 'Clear base with small silver glitter pieces and blue and holographic bar glitter.

Pink Friday

Save Me

Save Me - Close Up!

I applied 2 coats of OPI Matte Nail Envy as my base to begin with followed by 2 coats of Pink Friday. The polish has a creme formula and applies smoothly but a little unevenly, however the finish is perfect after the second coat and fully opaque. I then added 1 coat of Save Me to each nail. Save Me is fairly easy to apply, however, you need to watch out that you don't have any of the strips of glitter hanging over the edges of your nails! I then finished off with a coat of Seche Vite Top Coat.

I love this nail look and it's perfect if you want that ultra girlie look! The strip glitter is a great change from your normal glitter top coats too!

I purchased my polishes from Beauty 4 Nails. I purchased Save Me in the full size for £8.99. Pink Friday was part of a set of 4 mini polishes which cost £13.99.

To read my review of the OPI Nicki Minaj Collection and to see swatches of the other polishes please click here.

Maz x

MAC Blush Ombre in Azalea Blossom

Hi Everyone!

I picked up one of the 2 limited edition Blush Ombre's from MAC's Daphne Guinness Collection in Azalea Blossom which is a re promote from a previous collection. You get 9g/ 0.31oz of product which is a lot and the same size as MAC's Beauty Powders and Mineralized Skinfinishes.

MAC describe Azalea Blossom as a 'light cool pink'. One side of the blush is a true pink and the other side is a more lilac pink. Due to the large size of the pan you can easily pick up one side or the other using a large blush brush or you can swirl both colour together!

As you can see in the picture above, the colour pay off when swatching isn't great but you do get a better amount of product on your skin when using a brush to apply. I really like the effect that it has on your skin, the pink is really flattering and not to pink and also leaves a nice sheen to your face. You can also build up the coverage fairly easily.

You can purchase the blush from MAC for £20.50.

Maz x

OPI Nicki Minaj Collection - Fly & Super Bass Shatter

Hi Everyone!

I am a sucker for any new OPI collection and I really love the new Nicki Minaj one that has just been released! As you would imagine, a collaboration with Nicki is very colourful! The collection consists of 3 cremes, 2 glitters (I only have 1 of them) and a new shatter coat.

(L to R) Pink Friday, Fly, Did it on 'em

(L to R) Super Bass, Save Me

COLOUR DESCRIPTIONS

Fly: Teal creme.

Did it on 'em: Yellow toned green creme.

Metallic 4 Life: Black base with square and hexagonal silver glitter.

Pink Friday: Bubblegum pink.

Save Me: Clear base with small silver glitter pieces and blue and holographic bar glitter.

Super Bass: Glittery magenta/ purple shatter top coat.

(L to R) Did it on 'em, Pink Friday, Save Me

This collection is gorgeous! The 3 creme polishes are gorgeous and perfect for Spring and Summer. Save Me is an amazing polish, the bar glitters are stunning and a nice change from your usual glitter polishes. The last polish in the collection is Super Bass with is a crackle polish and looks great over any of the creme polishes.

Save Me Glitter Polish over the 3 creme polishes:

(L to R) Fly, Did it on 'em, Pink Friday

Today I applied Fly nail polish. As with any OPI creme polish this one applies really well. The polish was fairly opaque after the first coat and solid after two.

Fly

I then decided to add Super Bass Shatter polish over the top of it. This applied really well and dried very quickly! I then finished off with a coat of Seche Vite Fast Drying Top Coat. I would always recommend adding a top coat to your manicure as it gives a nicer finishes and makes it last longer. Shatter polishes also dry matte so the top coat will add a lovely shine.

I love this look! I think that the teal and purple work really well together (I love to wear this colour combination on my eyes) and reminds me of peacock feathers!

Let me know if you have purchased any of the Nicki Minaj nail polishes and what you think of them in the comments section below.

I ordered my polishes from Beauty 4 Nails the full size polishes cost £8.99 each and the mini pack (containing 4 mini polishes) cost £13.99.

Maz x

Oat & Raisin Cookies

Hi Everyone!
I decided to take a break from studying today and do some baking! Cookies are one of my favourite things to bake and I made some Oat and Raisin ones today, here's how I made them:

INGREDIENTS:

240g Rolled Oats

75g Shredded Coconut

230g Raisins or Sultanas

200g Brown Sugar

190g Caster Sugar

230g Butter, softened

150g Plain Flour

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1tsp Salt

METHOD:

1. Pre heat oven to 180C/ 350F Gas Mark 4 and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Cream the butter, brown sugar and caster sugar together in a large bowl.

3. Add the egg and vanilla to the bowl and mix together.

4. Sift in the flour, Bicarbonate of Soda and salt slowly and mix well.

5. Finally add the oats, coconut and raisins/ sultanas and mix.

Take large teaspoonfuls of the mix and roll into balls, place each one on the baking tray and press down slightly. Make sure you leave room around each one as they will spread out a little whilst baking.

6. Bake in the oven for 9-10 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully.

These cookies are so tasty and I especially love the added flavour that the coconut provides. They are just crunchy enough and just chewy enough in my opinion! They are pretty simple and quick to make too! Let me know if you give them a try!

I found this recipe on Videojug
Maz x

Sugarpill Chromalust Eyeshadow Pigments - Review & Swatches - Part 2

Hi Everyone!

This is the second of my two post's about Sugarpill's Chromalusts (you will find the link to part 1 at the bottom of the page). As I have quite a large collection I split the post up into two, in part 1 I discuss the eyeshadows in much more detail than I will here, including how I apply them, this post will focus more on the swatches of the shadows! Here are the 8 Chromalusts from my collection that were not included in part 1:

(L to R) Paperdoll, Tipsy, Lumi, Hysteric

( L to R) Royal Sugar, Tiara, Goldilux, Stella

DESCRIPTIONS:
Goldilux: Brilliant, highly reflective metallic gold.
Hysteric: Metallic purple with turquoise sparkles and luminous flashes of green.
Lumi: Snow white with turquoise sheen and flashing bursts of blue and green.
Paperdoll: Lovely lavender with dazzling shimmer and sparkle.
Royal Sugar: Striking bright blue with a heavenly burst of turquoise diamonds.
Stella: The blackest of jet blacks, bursting with rainbow diamond sparkle.
Tiara: Brilliant. highly-reflective metallic silver with maximum shock value shine.
Tipsy: High shimmer true grass green.

(L to R) Top: Royal Sugar, Tiara, Bottom: Goldilux, Stella

(L to R) Top: Paperdoll, Tipsy, Bottom: Hysteric, Lumi

Swatches shown on NW20 skin (without a base):

(L to R) Paperdoll, Tipsy, Lumi, Hysteric

(L to R) Royal Sugar, Tiara, Goldilux, Stella

As you can see from the pictures above, all of these shadows are super pigmented and look amazing! The colour selection is incredible and there has to be something for everyone here!

Check out part 1 of my Sugarpill Chromalust series by clicking here which also includes information on where to purchase them from!

Maz x

Nails Inc Couture Nail Polish

Hi Everyone!

I really wanted to share a great new concept from Nails Inc with you! They have just launched their 'Couture' nail polishes. This is a system where you can personalise your own nail polish. You can choose your nail polish colour from a large, varied selection and then choose your lid, label and also the stickers that appear on the box! I think that this is an amazing idea and perfect as a gift to a nail polish mad friend or relative. As I have been given some money from relatives for Christmas I decided to get one for myself!

I chose the Symons Street nail polish which is a metallic green colour, with the clear crystal cap. I chose to have my name printed on the label at the bottom of the jar and selected the 'Lips' and 'I heart Nails Inc' stickers for the box.

The nail polish itself is a gorgeous green colour with a stunning metallic finish, it applies really evenly and smoothly and is fully opaque in one coat which is great. The picture below is of one coat of the polish, without a top coat!

Let me know what you think of the new Couture polishes and what designs/ colours you have gone for in the comments section below if you have decided to order one!

You can purchase your own couture nail polish from Nails Inc for £20 each.

Maz x