November Favourites

Hi Everyone!

It's the end of the month so that means it's time for my favourites post where I share my most used and loved products from the last month. It's less than a month until Christmas now so you'll see some rather festive items creeping in! So let's get started!

Benefit Bella Bamba Blush:

I have quite a few blushes in my collection and this is the only one from Benefit. It is a lovely pink watermelon colour with a slight gold shimmer. It is similar to NARS Orgasm but is pinkier in my opinion. It has a lovely brightening effect on your face and looks great all year round.

ELF High Definition Powder:

I have been using this powder for a couple of months now and I really like it. It is is a very fine powder that is designed to create a 'soft focus' to the skin and masks fine lines and imperfections. I find that it is also great for reducing the amount of shine on my face. I use the applicator that came with it and apply it to my forehead, nose and chin in a patting motion.

MAC Technikohl Liner in Smooth Manoeuvre:

I was talked in to buying this liner from a MAC artist on a recent shopping trip, it is one of the new, limited edition liners from their Glitter and Ice Christmas Collection. Smooth Manoeuvre is described as 'a black with pearl'. I mainly purchased this to use on my waterlines in place of my usual Feline or Smoulder pencils and I love it! It's glides on much easier and seems to set into place and lasts much longer.

MAC Lipstick in Pink Plaid:

I am a big fan of pink lipsticks and purchased this after seeing one of my favourite YouTube beauty guru's Grace aka Cosmetic Couturier used it in a recent video (click here to visit her channel). MAC describe this as 'Dirty Blue- Pink' and it is fast becoming one of my favourite lipsticks, it looks great paired with a smokey purple eye and is really wearable.

Stila Lip Glaze in Kitten:

I recently purchased the Stila Lip Glaze Christmas gift set (click here to read my review and to see swatches) and Kitten is my favourite so far. It's a beautiful shimmery champagne colour and looks great when worn alone or layered over a lipstick.

(L to R) Inglot 352, Make up Forever 9, Make up Forever 92

Make-up Forever Eyeshadows in numbers 9 and 92:

I do not own many Make-up Forever eyeshadows but I really love the ones that I do! Purple is my favourite colour so I had to pick up the famous 92 shadow which is a very bright, matte purple shade. I like to wear it all over the lid with a dark purple in the crease such as MAC's Sketch or Shadowy Lady and Make-up Forever's number 9 which is a matte lavender colour. I wore this combination on a recent shopping trip in Manchester and got so many comments! So many people asked me where I got my eyeshadows from!

Inglot Eyeshadow in number 352 Matte:

I am big into Inglot products at the moment and especially their eyeshadows! 352 is a pale pinky- cream colour and might look like quite a boring choice for this post when compared to some of their more, eye catching, brighter colours but this shade is amazing, it is such a great highlight colour and is so smooth and creamy to apply. It also does a great job at blending out any harsh lines and is a most have for any Inglot eyeshadow palette!

Emporio Armani Diamonds Perfume:

Diamonds has been a favourite perfume of mine for quite a while now and I have been wearing it quite a lot recently. It is a great fresh, feminine, floral scent and works well during the day and at night. I would definitely recommend checking this fragrance out if you are looking for a perfume to buy for someone over Christmas as I haven't come across anyone who doesn't like it!

Glitter Nail Polishes:

I had to end with glittery nail polishes! I really love them and we have been spoilt for choice with this years Christmas collections from OPI, China Glaze and Zoya in particular. My picks so far have to be China Glaze's Snow Globe from their Let it Snow Collection and Lorelei's Tiara from their Eye Candy Collection. OPI's The Muppet's Collection is also fantastic, especially Rainbow Connection, Divine Swine and Excuse Moi. I really like the look of Zoya's Gem's and Jewels Collection too! So many fab glitter polishes, so little time!

Here some swatches of a few of the items mentioned above:

(L to R) Inglot 352, Make up Forever 9, Make up Forever 92

 

(L to R) Benefit Bella Bamba, MAC Pink Plaid, Stila Kitten, MAC Smooth Manoeuvre

Thanks for reading my post and I hope that you have enjoyed it. Please feel free to share your favourite products with me in the comments section below.

Maz x

My Top 5 Foundations

Hi Everyone!
One of my friends recently asked me for my advice on which foundation she should try as she wasn't happy with her current one which prompted me to think about writing this post. There are so many foundations on the market, greatly varying in price, which claim to do amazing things for your skin. If, like me, you are willing to pay a slightly higher price if you are guaranteed quality then it's tough to know which ones to spend your money on. I have tried a lot of foundations over the years and had both good and bad experiences, here is my pick of the best.
NB: For a rough guide on the colours options - I am a MAC NW20.

Makeup Forever HD: (My shade: 118)
This foundation, as I am sure that many of you will know, has a massive online following and has a lot of hype surrounding it. As I mentioned on my full review of the foundation, this is such a light-weight foundation and doesn't feel in any way cakey which is great. It applies and blends so well and looks so natural. I am hoping to try out the MUFE Mat Velvet + Foundation soon to see how that performs on my oily skin so stay tuned for that review!
Please click here for my full review of this foundation. I purchased my bottle for £28.95 from Guru Makeup Emporium

L'Oreal True Match: (My shade: C3 Rose Beige)
I am a big fan of L'Oreal products and especially their foundations and mascaras. I have tried most of their foundations and have found this one to be the best. The consistency is a little runny but isn't too bad, I tend to wear this as my every day foundation and apply it quickly just using my fingers. This foundation blends into your skin really well and gives you quite a natural look, my mum really loves it too!
You can purchase it from Boots for £9.99 but look out for special offers!

Revlon Photo Ready: (My shade: 004 Nude)
This is my second favourite drugstore foundation after the L'Oreal True Match. It has a slighter fuller coverage and the consistency is slightly thicker. I do not think that this blends out quite as well as True Match but it is a great alternative to it. I prefer to use a foundation brush to apply this one.
This foundation costs £12.99 and can be purchased from Boots.

Smashbox High Definition: (My shade: Light L3)
I really like Smashbox face products and especially their primer's and Halo powder so I was easily talked into trying out their HD foundation. If I was to compare it to the MUFE foundation above I would say that this has a fuller coverage but takes a little longer to blend into the skin than the MUFE does. If I was asked which of the 2 I would choose for use in photographs I would probably say this one as it covers your skin much better. This is a great foundation for those of you with blemish prone skin in my opinion.
N.B The bottle shown in the picture is  travel sized.
The full price for this foundation is £28.50 and you can get it at Debenhams

Benefit You Rebel Tinted Moisuriser:
This final foundation is a tinted moisturiser which is great for summer days or for when you only want a little bit of coverage, I have a friend with a skin condition who swears by tinted moistusturiser as she can not wear foundations. This product is quite dark in colour but is OK for a fair skin, it also contains SPF 15 to protect your skin. The only thing that I do not like about it is the smell which does die down after a few minutes.

I purchased this for £23.50 from Debenhams

I hope that you have enjoyed this post and have found it useful. Please feel free to comment below with any foundation recommendations that you may have!
Maz x

Anti Shine Primers - Makeup Forever, Smashbox & No 7

Hi Everyone!

I, like many of you I'm sure, suffer from shiny areas on my face which I hate. I know that powders and blotting papers can help to reduce the appearance of these shiny areas but I would prefer to prevent them from happening so I looked on the market for products that could do this. I found 3 that I purchased and have tried each of them out quite a few times over the course of 6 months to see how they each perform. I bought the Makeup Forever Matifying Gel Stop Shining +, the Smashbox Anti Shine and the No7 Shine Free Make-up Base. Here's how the 3 of them appear on your skin before blending them in:

(L to R) Makeup Forever, Smashbox, No 7

Makeup Forever Stop Shining +: This is a gel product which has a narrow tip on the end of the packaging which allows you to squeeze out the exact amount that you need and reduces waste. You can apply this product before or after your foundation, I like to apply it before. The gel blends easily into your skin and is invisible under your makeup. I found that it definitely reduces the oiliness of your skin but does leave some shine. Overall 8/10

Smashbox Anti Shine: Similarly to the Makeup Forever product, you can wear this under or over your makeup but I always wear it underneath. This is a gel to powder product that claims to control oil leaving your skin matte. Firstly, I do not like the way that this product applies to the skin, I used the suggested patting motion but find that it balls up rather than disappears into the skin however it does do a good job of controlling the oil but is visible under your makeup. Overall 5/10

No 7 Shine Free Makeup Base: This is the cheapest of the 3 products that I have tested and is the most easily available across the UK. The product claims to help minimise your blemishes and blot away shine. I did not feel when wearing it that it minimised my blemishes but it did reduce the oiliness of my skin slightly compared to when I was not wearing it. Overall 3/10

So to conclude, my favourite product of the 3 that I have put to the test has to be the Makeup Forever Stop Shining + as it reduced the shine on my skin the most and was not visible underneath my foundation, it did not appear cakey like the Smashbox product and did a much better job and controlling the oil than the No 7 product. The MUFE product cost £14.50 which I don't think is too expensive for the amount of product that you get and the tiny amount that you need. I have found that if I apply the MUFE gel to my oily areas (T-zone, tip of nose and chin) and use the odd blotting paper I stay shine free all day!

You can purchase the Makeup Forever Stop Shinning + from Guru Makeup Emporium for £14.50.

You can purchase the Smashbox Anti Shine from Debehams for £21.50 and also from Amazon here: Smashbox Anti-Shine Powder-Gel, Neutral 1 ea

You can purchase the No 7 Shine Free Makeup Base from Boots for £11.

Maz x

Face Make-up Routine Using High-end Products

Hi Everyone!

I recently blogged about my every day face make up routine using drugstore/ low end products so I though that it'd be fun to share my more high end face routine with you all that I wear for nights out or when going shopping or out for a meal so let's get started!

My favourite face primer at the moment is the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer in Light. It feels so light and silky on your skin and helps to control shine throughout the day. I apply this all over my face using my fingers and it really helps with your foundation application. I purchased my primer from Debenhams for £29. You can also get it from Amazon here: Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Light 1 fl oz (30 ml)

I started using the Makeup Forever HD Foundation last month and I have never looked back! It is absolutely amazing! I like to apply it using the Beauty Blender Sponge. Please click here to read my review of this foundation. I ordered my foundation from Guru Makeup Emporium for £28.95. You can also get it from Amazon here: MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Invisible Cover Foundation 118 Flesh

I have used under eye concealers for many years but I discovered Bobbi Brown's Creamy Corrector around 12 months ago and I love it! I apply around my eyes using my fingers and then blend it in, I then apply my concealer over the top of it. I was amazed at how much better your eyes look for the addition of a corrector. I bought my corrector from John Lewis for £17. You can get it from Amazon here: Bobbi brown Corrector ~ Peach

I have been really getting in to Smashbox products recently and I love their High Definition Concealer. I pat a small amount of this under my eyes and then blend it in using my fingers. It does a great job of reducing the appearance of under eye lines and darkness. I purchased my concealer from Debenhams for £20 and you can get it from Amazon here: Smashbox High Definition Liquid Concealer, Light .27 fl oz (8 ml)

To cover up any blemishes or redness on my face I like to use MAC'S Studio Finish Concealer. I usually apply this using a concealer brush. This product is quite thick and paste like which is great for hiding breakouts. You can get this from MAC for £13.50 or from Amazon here: MAC Studio Finish Concealer SPF 35 NW20.

I recently discovered the Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder and I love it! This powder not only sets your make up but it also reduces your fine lines and wrinkles. It is very expensive but you do get a lot of product and you only use a small amount for each application. I use my MAC 150 brush to apply this, first I pick up some of the loose powder and press it onto the different areas of my face and then I blend it in. I got my Halo powder from Debenhams for £47. You can also get it from Amazon here: Smashbox HALO HYDRATING PERFECTING POWDER, Light .75 oz (21 g)

I have tried so many bronzers over the years and none have come close to the NARS Laguna bronzer, it is now the only one that I use. It is perfect for my skin tone and really warms up my complexion without making it obvious that I have bronzer on. I use my Sigma F brush to apply a light dusting all over my face and neck. I purchased my bronzer from Selfridges for £24 and you can also get it from Amazon here: NARS Bronzing Powder Laguna.

My favourite brow product at the moment is the Smashbox Brow Tech to Go. I use the pencil end to fill in my brows and then set them using the gel at the other end of the pencil. I especially love the slanted tip that the pencil has which makes application quicker and easier. I purchased my pencil at Debenhams for £22.50 and you can also get it from Amazon here: Smashbox Brow Tech To Go Brunette

To highlight my cheekbones I use MAC's Cream Colour Base in Pearl the post and often pat some of their loose powder in Silver Dusk over the top of it. This powder is stunning and gives an amazing effect, the cream colour base helps the powder adhere to the skin. To contour my cheekbones I use MAC's Harmony Blush. You can purchase all 3 of these products from MAC.  

I have a large selection of blushes in my collection but my favourite at the moment is the NARS Orgasm blush. It is is a gorgeous coral-pink colour with a hint of gold shimmer. I usually apply it using my MAC 129 brush. I bought my blush from HQ Hair for £20.50 and you can also get it from Amazon here: NARS Orgasm Blush

 I hope that you have enjoyed reading about my high end face makeup routine. Click to here read about my face makeup routine using drugstore products.

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

Make Up Forever HD Foundation

Hi Everyone!

I have heard so much hype surrounding the Make Up Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation and I have been wondering whether to try it or not for ages now! I live in the UK and Make Up Forever is not that well known or readily available over here but there a 2 stores in London which both provide a mail order service. I don't live anywhere near to London (don't get me started on the cost of train tickets to London!) and I am always reluctant to order things like foundation over the internet, as you obviously are unable to check out the colours accurately. So even though I have been desperate to try out this foundation I have been putting it off for that reason. I recently tried the Smashbox HD Foundation which I though was good but not that much better than my favourite Loreal True Match Foundation! So I did a little bit of research via Google and YouTube and found that most people who use MAC NW20 foundation's go for MUFE shade 118 (Flesh - Light skin, beige tone) so that's what I went for!

Firstly I have to say that the bottle itself was slightly bigger than I expected! It has a pump top and I have been using around 2 pumps per application. The liquid has a really nice consistency, not too runny or thick which I really like. I have tried applying the product with my fingers and the Sigma F60 brush and I have found that it applies amazingly well using either method. It blends into your skin effortlessly and leaves no horrible line around the edges of your face, it also blends down your neck really well too.

MUFE claim that the foundation gives you an 'invisible coverage' and I wasn't really sure what that meant but after just one day of wearing this foundation I totally understand what they mean! You feel that you have no product on your skin, it feels weightless. I have also found that when you scratch your face you don't get any of that globby build up under your nails as you do with regular foundations! I am very lucky not to have any wrinkles on my face (yet!) but I do have some under eye lines which the foundation has greatly reduced. My skin looks much clearer, smoother and more even when wearing it which is fantastic.

There seems to be a big attraction to HD foundations at the moment and more and more are coming onto the market all of the time and I think they are great as they make your skin look so much better in photographs. A few years ago we were only really photographed at weddings and other special occasions but now we all have decent, high pixel cameras on our mobile phones we seem to have our pictures taken all of the time! I have seen so many photos of myself on a night out added to Facebook by my friends where my skin looks so shiny which I hate! This is because average foundations are made up of flat pigments which bounce the light straight off your face and back towards the camera resulting in a shiny face but the MUFE HD foundation is made up of round pigments which disperse the light giving you a much more flattering, matter look on camera! Big thumbs up for this!

Overall, this foundation is quite expensive and the biggest negative for those of us who live in the UK is it's lack of availability. However Guru Makeup Emporium do offer a colour sample service for a small charge so contact them via the link below for more information. I think that this is the best foundation I have ever tried by far and I will definitely be repurchasing. I will also try out the MUFE Matte Velvet + soon too so check back for that.

I purchased my foundation from Guru Makeup Emporium for £28.95 and you can also buy it from Amazon here: MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Invisible Cover Foundation 115 Ivory

Maz x