Essie A Cut Above with OPI Mod About You - Review & Swatches

Hi Everyone!

I decided to go for a glittery, spring-time manicure today so applied OPI's Mod About You which is a solid, opaque light pink colour from their Classics Range with Essie's A Cut Above which is a clear based polish packed full of rosey-pink coloured small and large round and hexagonal shaped pieces of glitter from the Luxe Effects Collection from 2011.

OPI Mod About You

Essie A Cut Above

I began by applying 2 coats of OPI Matte Nail Envy as my base followed by 2 coats of OPI Mod About You. This polish applies so smoothly and evenly and dries to a gorgeous opaque finish. I then applied 2 coats of A Cut Above which is such a beautiful glitter top coat, it applies really well and disperses the glitter evenly. I then finished off by adding a layer of OPI Top Coat.

I love this manicure! It's so girly and pink and is perfect for Spring and Summer!

You can purchase OPI's Mod About you from Beauty Bay for £10.50 and you can get Essie's A Cut Above from Effortless Nails for £7.95

Maz x

Max Factor Fantasy Fire Nail Polish - Review & Swatch

Hi Everyone!

This nail polish seems to be featuring on quite a few beauty blogs at the moment and seems to be selling for 2 or 3 times it's RRP price on eBay so when I saw it in my local branch of Boots I thought that I'd give it a go! Fantasy Fire is apparently a close dupe of a popular, discontinued Clarins polish.

I began by applying 2 coats of OPI Matte Nail Envy as my base followed by 4 coats of Fantasy Fire. This polish is really sheer and pretty difficult to apply. I like opaque polishes but this still wasn't opaque after 4! On a more positive note, it does dry fairly quickly!

The polish is so difficult to photograph so I apologise for the poor picture quality! I am really disappointed with the polish to be honest, the colour is gorgeous but the application and finish is pretty bad! If you really like the colour I would perhaps layer it over an opaque polish in a similar polish (possibly OPI's A Grape Fit).

You can purchase this polish for £3.99 from Boots

Maz x

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - Review

Hi Everyone!

As regular readers of my blog may know, I am a huge fan of L'Oreal's True Match Foundation and it has been my drugstore foundation of choice for quite some time now. However, I ran out of True Match last week and decided to give Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation a try instead as I have read some pretty good things about it online. I am a MAC NW20 and chose the colour 'Soft Beige'.

Rimmel claim that this foundation will 'reawaken the skin with a healthy, radiant glow and minimises premature skin aging'. It also provides the skin with SPF 15.

Firstly I have to say that I really like the consistency of the product, it's not too thick or too thin. I have been applying it over my Smashbox Primer using a Sigma F84 brush and it applies really well. It blends into the skin smoothly and doesn't sit or gather in places such as around your nose and eyes which some foundations can. I chose to set the foundation with my MAC Blot Powder as my skin is quite oily in places. The product gives you a lovely, natural looking highlight without looking shiny which is great.

Overall this is a great foundation, especially for the price! I can't really say a bad thing about it other than the colour range currently available isn't all that varied or extensive. I would say that if you can find a colour to match your skin then you will love this foundation!

You can purchase this foundation from Boots for £8.99

Maz x

Butter London Muggins Nail Polish - Review & Swatch

Hi Everyone!

I have only ever tried one other Butter London Nail Polish in Teddy Girl and really liked that one so I thought I'd give another one a go! I decided to get Muggins which is a grey-toned, pale lilac colour.

I began by applying 2 coats of OPI Matte Nail Envy as my base followed by 2 coats of Muggins. This polish really isn't the easiest to apply, it's quite thick and streaky to apply but does seem to even out after drying. It is opaque after the second coat but there a few light patches. I finished off with 1 coat of Seche Vite Top Coat.

Overall, I am a little disappointed with this polish. The colour is nice and despite the lacquer having quite a thick consistency it did dry fairly quickly. The application is pretty poor though and I don't really think that it is worth the money.

After painting my nails I decided to add a glitter accent nail to my ring fingers, I used Models Own Disco Mix which is a clear based nail polish, packed full of blue and purple glitter.

Models Own Disco Mix

Disco Mix - Close up

You can purchase Muggins from Butter London for £12 and you can purchase Disco Mix from Models Own for £5.

Maz x

Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream/ Gel Eyeshadows - Review & Swatches

Hi Everyone!

There has been so much hype recently surrounding the Maybelline Color Tattoo's on the Internet and they have been available to buy over in the US for quite a few month's and they are finally here in the UK! I was so excited to get them, I am a huge fan of the MAC Paint Pot's so I was hoping that I would love these too! I picked up 3 pots in the following colours:

05 - Eternal Gold

20 - Turquoise Forever

35 - On and On Bronze

There are currently 7 colours available to buy here in the UK and these 3 really stood out to me! Eternal Gold is a beautiful, more subtle colour that makes a gorgeous every-day shade. On and On Bronze is one of those classic colours that everyone needs in their kit and Turquoise Forever is a much more vibrant, daring shade that I will probably apply to my lower lash line to make my eyes pop!

SWATCHES SHOWN ON NW20 SKIN:

(L to R) On and On Bronze, Eternal Gold, Turquoise Forever

As you can see, these colours are really pigmented! The consistency is much smoothier, creamier and easier to apply than the MAC Paint Pots. I have used both my fingers and a brush to apply them and had a good result with both methods. They blend out really well too. I have tried them out over an eyeshadow primer and on their own and they wear really well, there was, however, a little bit of creasing when worn without the primer. The colour stays vibrant all day and do not require a pressed shadow to set them which is great especially if you are in a rush!

Overall, these eyeshadows are amazing! They are great quality and brilliant value for money! I will definitely be getting some more!

Please note: The Eyeshadows appear to have different names and numbers in the UK than in the US!

You can purchase them from Boots for £4.99 each.
Maz x

Apple Frangipane Tart

Hi Everyone!

I decided to have a go at making a Frangipane tart today after having one at a restaurant! The tart is comprised of a pastry base with an almond sponge filling topped with slices of apple. Here's how to make it:

INGREDIENTS:

200g Plain Flour

100g Butter, chilled and diced

100g Butter, softened

Pinch of Salt

100g Caster Sugar plus another 1 tbsp

2 Large Eggs

100g Ground Almonds

1 tbsp Finely chopped Lemon Zest

4 Eating Apples

METHOD:

1. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the 100g of cold diced butter to it almond with the salt. Rub the mixture together between your fingers, or pulse in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Next add 1-3 tbsps of cold water to the mixture until the dough begins to stick. Knead it into a ball then wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Pre heat the oven to 180C/ Gas Mark 4.

3. Roll out your pastry and fill your tart tin. Bake the pasty blind for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven, take out the baking beans and continue to bake for another 5 minutes.

4. While the pasty is baking, add the 100g of softened butter along with 100g of Caster Sugar to a large bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Next beat in one egg at a time. Now fold in the ground almonds and lemon zest and use this mixture to fill the pastry case.

5. Peel and core your apples and then slice them finely. 'Plant' the apple slices into the tart, brush with some melted butter and then dredge with the 1 tbsp of caster sugar.

6. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes in the oven until the Frangipane is puffy and golden. You can know brush over the apples with apricot jam if you wish then return to the warm oven (switched off) with the door ajar for 15 minutes.

This tart is so tasty and fairly straight forward to make. It does take quite a bit of time to make but I feel that it's worth it!

I found this recipe on the Waitrose website.

Maz x

Illamasqua Force Nail Polish - Review & Swatch

Hi Everyone!

Today I applied Illamasqua's Force nail polish to my nails which is described as a 'deep electric blue'. This is a stunning blue with a hint of purple. I have only tried a couple of Illamasqua polishes but I have found them to be such good quality and long wearing however, they are a little on the expensive side (£13.50 in the UK) but I think that they are worth splashing out on as a treat if you spot a colour you really like!

OPI Last Friday Night

I began by applying one coat of OPI Natural Nail Base Coat followed by two coats of Force. The polish applied like a dream! The consistency is quite thick but just glides onto the nail like butter and is so smooth and even. The polish was opaque after the first coat but I always like to apply two. The lacquer dries quickly too. I added a couple of coats of OPI Last Friday Night polish from their Katy Perry collection (a sheer, blue-based glitter) to my ring finger's as a glitter accent nail. I finished off by applying a layer of Seche Vite Top Coat.

I really love this polish, it's application and finish are amazing. If you have any other Illamasqua nail polish suggestions please let me know in the comments section below!

You can purchase this polish from Debenhams for £13.50

Maz x

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream - Review

Hi Everyone!

There is currently so much hype surrounding B.B. Cream's here in the UK at the moment so I thought that I would give it a go. Garnier have released their 'Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream' and have offered a free sample via Facebook which I took advantage of! A B.B. (blemish balm) cream is said to be a skin care - makeup hybrid product.

Free sample packaging

Garnier claim that this cream will provide you with a sheer coverage which will blur any imperfections and soften lines and wrinkles. It is also said to moisturise your skin and protect it by providing SPF 15.

Free sample packaging

The cream has a similar appearance to a liquid foundation and applies nicely. I had read online reviews of the product that states it dries very quickly but I haven't really found that! The coverage is fairly sheer but does add some colour to skin, it also blends really well too.

Free product samples

Overall I am really impressed with this product. I have been using it as a tinted moisturiser almost and enjoy the added benefits that the B.B cream has over a tinted moisturiser. This is great 'every-day' product if you are popping to the shops and just want a little bit of coverage with little effort! I have been setting my face with a little translucent powder as my face is a little oily in areas and I found that this cream stays on all day.

I liked the product so much that I purchased the full size! I would definitely recommend visiting the Garnier UK Facebook page to see if the free sample offer is still available!

I purchased my full sized bottle from Boots for £7.49 (current special offer price).

Maz x

Spring Manicure

Hi Everyone!

Happy Easter! I love watching beauty videos on YouTube and really like Miss Jen Fabulous' Channel (Click here to view it). She recently did a gorgeous, fun manicure for Spring/ Easter that I decided to try and recreate.

Here are the products that I used, some of which differ from the ones just in her video:

(L to R)
OPI - A Grape Fit! (Jen used Essie's Play Date)
Essie - Mint Candy Apple
Essie - Borrowed and Blue
Essie - Van D'Go
Revlon - Sparkling (Jen used Essie's A Cut Above)
Nicole by OPI - It's All About the Glam (Jen used Essie's Marshmallow)
Nubar Nail Art Pen - Basic White

I began by applying 2 coats of OPI's Matte Nail Envy as my base then painted my nails with A Grape Fit, Borrowed and Blue, Van D'Go and Mint Candy Apple. I used Revlon's Sparkling to add glitter to a couple of the nails. I then used a dotting tool along with Nicole by OPI's It's All About the Glam to add dots to a couple of the nails. I then used the Nubar Nail Art Pen to draw a bow on my left thumb nail and added a dot of A Grape Fit to the centre. I then finished off with a coat of Seche Vite Top Coat.

I love this manicure! It is so cute and different and fairly easy to do! If you like nail polish then I would definitely recommend checking Jen's channel out as her tutorials are brilliant!

Maz x

China Glaze Fast Track Nail Polish - Review & Swatch

Hi Everyone!

Today I applied another one of the nail polishes from the recent China Glaze Hunger Games Capitol Colours Collection in the colour Fast Track which is a creamy beige colour packed full of tiny golden shimmer.

I began by applying a coat of OPI Top Coat to my nails followed by 2 coats of Fast Track. The first coat of the polish was a little bit sheer but is around 95% opaque after the second. It applied fairly evenly and dried quickly. I then finished off with a coat of Seche Vite Top Coat.

This polish isn't my usual choice of colour but I do like it is a change. The golden shimmer really adds that extra bit of something but the polish overall is pretty wearable and would also make a great polish to wear to work.

I purchased my polish from Amazon for £6.95

Maz x

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait

Hi Everyone!

I picked up another one of the Lip Butter's from Revlon yesterday in Peach Parfait. I love these Lip Butter's as they provide you with buildable colour and moisturise your lips at the same time! They also feel great on the lips and not sticky at all. They are not the most long wearing of products but you get a good couple of hours coverage depending on how much your eat or drink!

Peach Parfait is a subtle peach colour with a slight golden shimmer which is gorgeous. I really like this colour and it's ideal for summer!

SWATCH SHOWN ON NW20 SKIN:

I can totally see why the Lip Butter's are so popular, the colour range is great and they are good value for money. I'm sure I'll be adding to my collection again soon!

To read my review of the Pink Truffle and Strawberry Shortcake Lip Butter's please click here

You can purchase the Lip Butter's from Boots for £7.99 each
Maz x

Orly Peachy Parrot Nail Polish - Review & Swatch

Hi Everyone!

Today I applied one of the polishes from Orly's Birds of a Feather Collection for Fall 2011. I chose Peachy Parrot which is a lovely peachy, coral shade with tiny flecks of golden shimmer - the perfect colour for Spring/ Summer (despite it being from a fall collection!)

I began by applying 2 coats of OPI's Original Nail Envy as my base followed by 2 coats of Peachy Parrot. The polish was really smooth and easy to apply and dried quickly. I finished off by applying a layer of OPI Rapi Dry Top Coat.

I love this colour, the peachy colour is gorgeous and the golden shimmer made it that extra bit special.

You can purchase this polish from Look Fantastic for £9.25

Maz x