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

Top 10 Loose Eyeshadows/ Pigments

Hi Everyone!

This is a post dedicated to my top 10 loose eyeshadow/ pigments. A lot of people are put off from using loose shadows as they think that they are harder to work with than pressed ones and guarantee a lot of fall out but if you use a decent primer and/ or base and the correct type of brush they are amazing and give you a much stronger effect than a pressed shadow can. They also blend out really well and can also be used wet to give a foil-like effect. I like to use either the MAC 239 or 242 brushes to apply them, a great tip is to dip your brush into the jar and pick up some of the pigment then crush it into the lid, also make sure that you tap off any excess back into the jar and apply with a patting rather than sweeping motion to begin with. So on to my top 10!

10. Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Involve:

Illamasqua describe this pigment as a Royal purple with shimmer but to me it is more of an shimmery eggplant shade. I like to layer it over their cream shadow in Mould (such an attractive name!) with a lighter purple shadow such as MAC's Digit in the inner tear duct area for a dark smokey eye that is perfect for a night out especially for those of us with brown eyes.

You can purchase this pigment from Illamasqua Online for £15.50.

9. NYX Loose Pearl Powder in Mocha: 

I purchased this pigment after seeing one of my favourite YouTube beauty guru's, JulieG713 using it in one of her tutorials. It is a lovely shimmery brown shade that looks great during the day for work or on a night out. This is the only loose shadow from NYX that I own and I am really impressed with the quality of the product itself but I really dislike the packaging as the opening is too small to fit your brush into which makes the application slower and messier than it needs to be, however, for the price I don't mind purchasing a separate jar to transfer it into!

You can purchase this shadow from NYX for £2.50.

8. Barry M Dazzle Dust in Bright Indigo (99):

This is a matte indigo-purple shade that is super pigmented! A little goes a long way with Barry M Dazzle Dusts so they are great value for money. If you are a fan of purple and would like to try a loose shadow then I think that this would be a great one to start with due to its ease of application, intense colour pay-off and affordable price.
You can purchase Dazzle Dusts from Barry M for £4.59 and also from Boots and Superdrug stores across the UK.

7. MAC Violet Pigment:

My favourite colour is purple so this vivid bright violet purple pigment was a must have for me. It is your classic true purple shade and I love to apply it all over my lid with a pale lavender shade such as MAC's Digit with a dark colour such as MAC's Black Tied in the crease for a gorgeous purple smokey eye.

You can purchase this pigment from MAC for £15.50.

6. MAC Heritage Rouge Pigment:

This was a limited edition pigment from the Makeup Art Cosmetics Collection from 2009, it is described as a dark cranberry-burgundy frost. I love this pigment as it has a lovely smooth texture and is great for autumn/ fall. I love to layer this over MAC's Artifact paint pot and pair it with golds and chocolate browns. I only have a sample size of this at the moment but I'm hoping that MAC will re promote it at some point in the future so that I can get the full size!

5. MAC Rose Pigment:

This is such an unusual colour which MAC describes as a rose with copper sparkle. The gold colour, to me, comes across much stronger on the skin that it does in the pot, it is a great colour to experiment with as you can pair it with so many other colours and it looks great!

You can purchase this pigment from MAC for £15.50

4. Sugarpill Goldilux Loose Eyeshadow:

This metallic gold pigment is amazing and is so sparkly and bright! The consistency of this shadow is a little finer than the MAC pigments but not as fine as a glitter. This shadow looks amazing paired with golden brown shades such as MAC's Bronze and Twinks and plum shades such as MAC's Sketch. It is also perfect from Christmas time as it has a slight festive edge to it!

You can purchase Sugarpill products in the UK from Cocktail Cosmetics the pigments cost £8.45 each.

3. MAC Tan Pigment:

Tan is probably my most used pigment and looks great on everyone no matter what their eye colour or skin tone. It is described as a muted pinky brown bronze and I love to wear it over MAC's Rubenesque pot with a warm brown such as Mulch in the crease. It I had to recommend one pigment to buy from MAC this would be it as you would get so much use out of it!

You can purchase this pigment from MAC  for £15.50.

2. MAC Mutiny Pigment:

Mutiny was a limited edition pigment that first became available from MAC back in 2008 as part of the Naughty Nauticals collection and is a sky blue with gold pearl. This really is the most beautiful shade of blue that I have ever seen and is so bright and rich in colour. It looks amazing applied along the lower lashline with a neutral lid.

1. MAC Pink Pearl Pigment:

Pink Pearl is my favourite MAC pigment and is a stunning pink with a lavender duochrome (the picture below really doesn't do it justice). I love to use this wet all over my lid with Sketch in the crease. This pigment used to be available in the permanent collection but I think it is now only available in the pro line. Stars n Rockets pressed shadow from MAC is very similar to Pink Pearl but less pigmented.

Some swatches for you (shown on NW20 skin):

(L to R) MAC Pink Pearl, MAC Heritage Rouge, MAC Violet, Illamasqua Involve, Barry M Bright Indigo

(L to R) MAC Rose, Sugarpill Goldilux, MAC Tan, NYX Mocha, MAC Mutiny

I hope that you have enjoyed reading about my favourite loose eyeshadows, please feel free to share yours with me in the comments section below and click here to read my Top 10 MAC Pigments post.

Maz x

Top 5 Cream Blushes

Hi Everyone!

I am a huge fan of blush and especially cream blush! It is quick and easy to use and is perfect for giving you a fresh, dewy look. You can also use cream blushes under powder ones to give your blush that extra staying power. Here are my top 5 cream blushes.

5. MAC Cremeblend Blush in Posey

Posey is my favourite Cremeblend blush from MAC, it is described as a warm peach but to me it seems more rosy coloured than peach! Either way it is beautiful but quite bright. I like to apply it with my fingers and then blend it out using a brush such as the MAC 109. You can buy it from MAC  for £17.

4. Makeup Forever Waterproof Cream Color in 06 Fresh Pink

OK so this isn't exactly a cream blush but it is a cream based product that can be used on the cheeks. The MUFE Waterproof Cream Color's are a range of products that have been designed for either the lips and cheeks or the eyes. This colour is suitable for the cheeks and lips. I apply this with my fingers and blend it out. It is a cute, bubblegum, cool pink colour that looks great when applied to the cheeks and lips at the same time. As it is waterproof it lasts a really long time too. You can purchase this from Guru Makeup Emporium for £16.95.

3.  Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Rude

Rude is described as a 'warm peach pink with a dewy finish'. This is a very bright colour but isn't as orange as it looks in the pan. This is another cream blush that I like to apply with my fingers and then with a blush to ensure that it is well blended in. You can purchase it from Illamasqua for £16.50.

2. NARS The Multiple in Orgasm

I, like many of you, love NARS' Orgasm range. I own the powder blush and the lipgloss. The colour is described as a 'peachy pink with shimmer'. The multiple is so easy to apply, I swirl it onto my cheeks directly from the tube and then blend it out with my fingers. You can then pat over it using the powder blush if you wish. You can also apply this to your lips too which looks great paired with the Orgasm gloss. It is quite expensive but you do get a lot of product for your money. You can buy it from NARS for £29.

1. Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in 06 Powder Pink

This has to be my favourite cream blush and probably one of my favourite blushes over all. It is a beautiful, subtle pink colour that is so easy to apply. I usually swirl 2 fingers into the pot then dot it onto the apples of my cheeks. I then use my fingers to blend it out. This blush gives you lovely flush of colour to your cheeks. You can purchase this from Bobbi Brown for £17.

Here are the swatches of the 5 blushes shown on NW20 skin:

(L to R) MAC Posey, MUFE Fresh Pink, Illamasqua Rude, NARS Orgasm, Bobbi Brown Powder Pink

I hope that you enjoyed reading about my 5 favourite cream blushes. You can also read about my Top 10 overall favourite blushes by clicking here.

Maz x

Smashbox, MAC, Illamasqua, Sleek & Jose Eber Haul

Hi Everyone!

I went shopping at the Trafford Centre in Manchester with my best friend yesterday and I wanted to share the things that I bought with you all!

Firstly I picked up the Original iDivine palette from Sleek Makeup. I have heard so much buzz around this brand online recently so I really wanted to check it out. This one and the 'Bad Girl' palette appealed to me the most and I am amazed at the colour choice and pigmentation over the range of eye shadows that the brand has to offer. The palette was from Superdrug and cost £6.50 which is an amazing price for 12 eye shadows. I will do a full review and swatches post for this palette soon!

I then went to the Smashbox counter and purchased this Complexion Perfection Kit in Light for £45. I have heard so much about Smashbox and have seen their studios featured on the Hills and I really wanted to try out a few products so this kit seemed perfect. It comes with the High Definition Foundation in light L3 in a travel size, the High Definition Concealer in Light, also in a travel size, you also get a mini Photo Finish Foundation Primer and a portable size Halo to Go Hydrating Perfecting Powder in Light. You basically have everything you need for a light, medium or full coverage face! This kit is quite expensive but you do get quite a decent amount of product and I suppose it is cheaper to buy the 4 products like this to begin with before buying the items in full size which would be much more expensive.

Next I went over to the Illamasqua counter and I fell in love with Underground Lipstick from the new Magenta Muse collection for 2011 which was £15.50. Illamasqua describe this lipstick as an 'Irridescent blueberry violet with a shimmer finish'. This lipstick reminds me of one of my favourite pigments from MAC called Pink Pearl. It is a beautiful rich pink colour with a purple/ violet duochrome. It isn't quite as scary as it looks in the tube! It applies quite sheer and you can build it up to your desired finish, the Illamasqua artist layered it over a bright fuchsia lip liner which made it look even more amazing! I tried it over MAC's Magenta Lip Pencil to get the same effect (shown below). I also picked up their Cream Blusher in Rude for £16.50. I have been after a coral cream blush for ages now and I really like this one. It is described as a 'Warm peach pink with a dewy finish'. It looks much brighter and more orange in the pan than it applies on the skin. It has quite a sheer application which is great as it makes it easier to build up and blend out. Here are the swatches of the 2 products shown on NW20 skin.

(L to R) Underground Lipstick, Rude Cream Blusher, Underground Lipstick over MAC Magenta Lip Pencil

No shopping trip would be complete for me without a visit to the MAC counter! Yesterday I picked up one of their new Mineralize Eye Shadows in Quartz Fusion from the new Semi Precious Collection which was £16. This is a beautiful glittery pink eye shadow that MAC describes as a 'Soft Pink, Silver, Deep Pink'. I love pink eye shadows and was drawn to this one when I saw JulieG713 use it in a recent make up tutorial on YouTube! Here is the eye shadow swatch:

Finally, when we entered one of the large department stores in the Trafford Centre we were approached by a sales lady from Jose Eber. She was promoting their curling irons and asked if we would like to try them. She firstly tried it out on my friend who has long, thick hair that always curls really easily so it was no surprise when they curled her hair really well! I, however, have long, fine hair that only likes to be straight! I have tried many different methods over the years to try and get my hair to curl including, rollers, GHD irons and regular curling irons and never had a very good result so I wasn't expecting much from these curlers! Well I have to say I am amazed and overjoyed at the curls that these irons create! I have never seen anything create such an amazing curl like these irons do! I actually had gorgeous ringlets in my hair for the first time in my life! All you do is take a piece of hair and wrap it around the barrel, you then count to 3 and release the hair and there is your curl! I went for the 19mm Pro Series Curling Iron in Pink Zebra. I can't remember exactly how much they are as we both purchased them and had a few discounts applied! I highly recommend that you check them out, especially if you have difficult to curl hair like me!

Maz x

Illamasqua Purity - Review & Swatch

Hi Guys!
This week's nails of the week is Purity by Illamasqua. Purity is from the current Toxic Nature collection and is a bold, vibrant pastel peach colour. This is the first Illamasqua nail polish that I have tried and I was prompted to try one as I have heard good things about them online and they have won a Cosmopolitan Beauty Award in 2010. Anyone who has read my blog knows that I am a huge fan of OPI polishes so I have to compare this polish to OPI ones. The brush is much narrower than an OPI brush which makes application slower but more precise. I applied my OPI Base Coat followed by 2 coats of Purity and then 1 coat of Seche Vite Top Coat. The nail lacquer consistency is quite thick and did take quite a long time to dry but did have a nice even, streak free finish.

Illamasqua polishes are priced at £13.50 in the UK which makes them around £3.50 more expensive than OPI and Essie and I really don't think that they are worth the extra money. I think that OPI and Essie dry quicker and have a much larger variety of colour choices. I do, however love Purity's colour so if you really like this specific colour then I would recommend it.

Let me know what you guys think of Illamasqua polishes, especially if you have experienced a really good one!
3 stars out of 5 from me!

Maz x

Shopping at the Trafford Centre!

Hi Everyone!

I've been shopping at the Trafford Centre today. For those of you outside the UK who don't know the centre it is a massive shopping centre just outside of Manchester City centre that is full of amazing stores and places to eat!

I bought a handful of cosmetic- related items and thought that I would share them with you all!

 (L to R) Purity, Involve, Force

I have never tried any products from Illamasqua before and I went over to the counter intending to buy one nail polish and ended up leaving with two and an eyeshadow pigment! The girl who served me was so friendly and could have very easily persuaded me to buy every product on the stand! I chose Purity nail polish which is a gorgeous creamy peach colour and Force which is a beautiful cornflower blue/ purple (It looks much brighter on the photo than it does in real life)! I am not a big fan of sheer polishes and the girl actually applied both of these colours onto her own nails to prove to me that they are both fully opaque, which they where even after just the one coat. I was then persuaded to try one of their pigments so I chose Involve which is a stunning shimmery purple and right up my street. I can't wait to try these products and will post my findings as soon as I do.

(L to R) Sparrow me the Drama, Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, Steady as she Rose

So no shopping trip for me would be complete without at least one OPI nail polish! I purchased Sparrow me the Drama which is a medium rosy pink and Steady as she Rose which is a pale pinky-lilac both of which are from the new OPI Pirates of the Caribbean - On Stranger Tides collection. They both look gorgeous and ideal for summer. I also picked up a pot of Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream which I have wanted to try for ages as my thumb nail cuticles are really dry and rough. I haven't used it yet but it smells very strongly of lemon and it's consistency is slightly harder than Vaseline, fingers (or thumbs in this case) crossed that it works!

 Pop in the Bath



The Comforter

Finally I called in to Lush and picked up two of their bubble bars. I always get The Comforter bar as it's my favourite! It smells of blackcurrant sweets and turns your bath water hot pink! I love Lush's bubble bars because they create so many bubbles and leave your skin silky soft. I also purchased Pop in the Bath which is apparently inspired by Mary Poppins and as my name is Mary I thought that was a sign! I have never tried this one before but I'm sure it'll be good! It smells of lemon and mandarin, lovely!

So I felt I was very restrained with my purchases today which makes a change! Although it is my birthday soon so I'm sure I'll rectify that then!

Maz x

Nail polish suggestions needed!!!

Hi everyone!

As I have mentioned several times on my blog, I love nail polish and mainly stick to OPI, Essie and Nails Inc with a few Leighton Denny thrown in here and there! I have, however, read on other blogs and magazines and seen on YouTube that Zoya, Illemasqua and Orly also produce great polishes and I would love to try them to see what they are like! I have looked all three brands up online and simply do not know where to start! I would be so grateful if any of you could comment below with some suggestions of great 'must have' polishes from any of these brands so I can give them a go!

Maz x