Make-up of the Day

Mac Strobe Cream: found here

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue: found here

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer: found here

Zoeva 142 Concealer and Buffer Brush: found here

Benefit Hoola Bronzer: found here

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit: Sold out

the Bam Mary Loumanizer: found here

Real Techniques Blush Brush: found here

Real Techniques Setting Brush: found here

Real Techniques Travel Essentials: found here

Bourjois Colour Edition 24H petale de glace: found here

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette: found here

Zoeva 240 Luxe Petit Pencil Brush: found here

Mac 217 Blending Brush: found here

Mac Kohl Liner Teddy: found here

Primark Eyelash curlers: found in store

Bourjois 1 Seconde Volume Mascara: found here

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade Medium Brown: found here

Makeup Revolution E104: found here

Bourjois Rouge Edition Souffle de Velvet Ravie en Rose: found here

Today I decided to show you my make-up of the day. This is the sort of make-up that I would wear on a regular day, I know that some people will wear less or more make-up on an average day but this is just what works for me. It's super hot at the minute in England so I think this glowy, light make-up look is super appropriate for the current weather. I'm normally one for wearing a medium to full coverage foundation but as the weather has got warmer I've started to wear the Bare Minerals complexion rescue which is a super light glowy base with added SPF. 

So I thought that I'd start by showing you a (rather scary) bare faced photo of me. My skin has actually been behaving itself recently and I've put this down to continued wear of the Bare Minerals complexion rescue which contains skin care properties that are supposed to improve the skin with continued use. 

I started off by applying Mac strobe cream which is a brilliant multi-purpose product for those of you who love all things glow. I then followed this with the Bare Minerals complexion rescue and applied the Collection lasting perfection concealer to my under eyes and blemishes. The next step was to apply my Hourglass powder in diffused light which I applied just to my under eyes to prevent creasing. I didn't powder the rest of my face, I just swept over a generous amount of Benefit's Hoola bronzer in place of my usual harsh contour. For blush I used mood exposure also from my Hourglass Palette. 

For an all over eyeshadow base I used the colour edition 24h in petale de glace from Bourjois. For eyeshadow I decided to pull out my Naked 3 palette which I think is the perfect palette for spring. I used the shades limit and nooner in the crease and applied dust all over the lid. I then applied Mac's kohl liner in teddy on my top lash line. For mascara I used the Bourjois 1 seconde mascara which I got recently and packs a punch in the volume department. I used the Anastasia dipbrow in medium brown and an angled brush to fill in my brows, then applied the Balm Mary-Loumanizer to the high points of my face and finished with the new Bourjois rouge edition souffle de velvet in ravie en rose.

Shona xx

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - worth the hype?

Hi guys! Today I'm going to be talking about the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation. Now I know this product has a lot of hype surrounding it, however I have only had this foundation for the last month or so because the lightest shade (51) is just too dark for me for most of the year. Now that the summer has arrived and my skin has darkened, shade 51 is a good match for me and I've been able to wear this foundation. The foundation itself smells of apricot which is a lovely scent, however this is something to watch out for if you don't like using scented make-up.

Bare Skin

                                                                  
First of all, the packaging is very nice for a drug store foundation, it has a nice glass bottle and a handy pump which means that it's easy to get the right amount of product out of the bottle. The foundation has a medium - build able coverage which I agree with.

With Foundation

                                                                 
Quite a lot of foundations tend to cling to the dry patches that I have around my nose however this one doesn't, I use my fingers to apply this foundation and it glides over the skin beautifully. This foundation claims to last for 16 hours wear which I have my doubts about, however I usually wear this foundation for 6-8 hours (set with powder) and it doesn't slide around or fade, it wears nicely throughout the day with a good lasting power. I have combination skin, and as I said this foundation doesn't accentuate dry patches and doesn't get oily throughout the day.

With Full Make-up

                                                             
This foundation claims to leave the skin luminous however I would say that the finish is more satin than dewy, leaving the skin with a natural glow.

A downside of this foundation is the colour range. There aren't many shades available in this foundation, pale girls (like me in winter) aren't catered for, and there are no shades suitable for anyone who is darker than a medium tan skin tone. This is a problem which comes with all of the foundations by Bourjois, not just the Healthy Mix. However, if your shade is available in this foundation then I would highly recommend that you go out and buy this product! What more can you ask for for £9.99!

Please comment down below and let me know if you've tried this foundation!

You can buy Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation here

Shona xxx

The Perfect Nude Lip

Okay guys, as you may or may not know, I am a huge lover of the bright lip; reds, purples, oranges you name it. But recently I've been using two products to create this nude lip in the picture below.

The products in question are the L'oreal Paris Colour Riche Collecetion Privee Lipstick by Cheryl (what a mouthful) (buy here) and the Tanya Burr Lip Gloss in Chic (buy here). I've been wearing the L'oreal lipstick all over my lips and then dabbing a bit of the Tanya Burr Lip Gloss over the top. Personally I've really been loving this combo and I think the nude lip is growing on me.

Let me know of any nude lipsticks that you guys are loving so that I can try them out!

Shona xxx

Mac Wishlist - June 2014

Hey guys! As you may or may not know, Mac is one of my favourite cosmetics companies and I absolutely love their products. Mac was one of the first 'high end' companies that I tried and I have to say, everything that I've bought from there so far has been great - especially their lipsticks and eyeshadows.
I've recently been craving a few products from Mac and I thought I'd put together a Mac wishlist so I could share my product cravings with you guys.

1. Lipstick in Morange - Mac lipsticks are well known for being lovely and pigmented and coming in a wide range of colours. I personally am really into bright reds, and although I have a couple of lipsticks which are on the orange side of red, Morange is quite a true orange and is a shade which I do not have. I think this shade would be especially great for spring & summer.
Buy Here

2. Eye shadow in Sumptuous Olive - This eye shadow is described as a khaki with pearl and it is a really gorgeous colour - unlike anything else that I have. This colour would look perfect on hazel and brown eyes, however even though I'm a blue eyed girl I'm sure this colour will look great on me too.
Buy Here

3. Pro longwear paint pot in Painterly - The Mac paint pots are cream products which can be used alone all over the lid or can be used under powder eye-shadows to increase longevity. Painterly is a nude beige colour which can be used to block out the natural discolouration on the eyelids of people with light to medium skintones.
Buy Here

4. Pro longwear concealer in NC15 -  This concealer is medium to full coverage and works well at covering dark under-eye circles which I suffer from. I've heard lots of people rave about this concealer so I'm really interested in trying this.
Buy Here

5. Mineralize skinfinish in soft & gentle - This is a much raved about product in the bloggersphere, the Mac mineralize skinfinishes are well loved and I think the shade soft & gentle is the most raved about of these products. The colour is described as a gilded peach bronze and would give a beautiful highlight to the skin.
Buy Here

6. Strobe Cream - This is actually sold under skincare by mac and is quite a multi-purpose product. Strobe cream can be used as a moisturiser under make-up, can be mixed in with foundation and can be used as a liquid highlight. I recently received a sample of this and I am enjoying mixing this in with my foundation to give a subtle glow.
Buy Here

7. 208 Angled Brow brush - I don't currently have a good brush in my collection to use on my brows and I love using powder products on my brows.This brush would give a lovely defined shape to the brows when used with powder.
Buy Here

8. Eye Brows in Brunette - I love buying lots of different products to use on my brows as I think that a lovely defined brow can bring a make-up look together. I've been looking at this product for ages and I think I might have to give this product a try.
Buy Here

Please comment down below guys and let me know which Mac items you are lusting after!

Shona xxx

FOTD & Mermaid Hair

Hey guys! Today I've decided to write a quick post about the make-up I'm wearing today and I thought I'd just inform you about my new hair! As you guys probably know I have very light blonde hair - I was feeling a little bored this morning so I decided to dig through my cupboards for the Bleach London colours which I had bought ages ago. I found 'washed up mermaid' which is a lovely turquoise colour. I used my hands to apply the dye onto the ends of my hair and left it on for 15 minutes. Now, on the bottle of the dye it says to use gloves - I didn't do this and now I have blue hands! So make sure that you wear gloves. Anyway, after washing the dye off and drying my hair I am so impressed with how its gone - the colour is lovely and vibrant and I think I applied it really well. Normally when applying colour at home I have my mum's help but today's colour was a solo endeavour
Anyway, onto today's face...

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 Okay, so as a base I'm wearing Mac face and body in C1. I always go back to this foundation in the warmer months because it provides a lovely sheer, dewy coverage. Under my eyes & on my chin I applied the Collection concealer in fair. I then applied my Mac cream blush in 'optimistic orange' which looks really daring in the pan but I find that it really brightens up my complexion Then I applied the sleek bronzer from the light contour palette to contour my face and applied Mac's mineralize skinfinish in Porcelain Pink.
On my eyes I'm wearing the 'satin taupe' eyeshadow by Mac, and I've just taken that onto the lower lashline too. I blended a little bit of hustle from the Naked 1 palette in the outer corner of my eye. I also applied Mac's kohl liner in 'teddy' to my waterline. I then finished off the eyes by applying L'oreal's telescopic mascara in 'carbon black.' On my lips I'm wearing Mac's 'rebel'.

Shona xxx

FOTD + Update

Hey guys! Today I'm popping along to the opticians, which means no eye make-up for me! I just thought I'd share my make-up with you as I've kept it very simple and fresh today. The foundation I am using today is the Bourjois 10 hour sleep effect in 71 (expect a review of this soon!) I am also using the Bobbi Brown corrector in porcelain bisque and collection 2000 concealer in fair to cover dark circles and blemishes. I have used the sleek contour kit in light to contour and highlight my face and the sleek blush in rose gold. I have just gone through my eyebrows with the HD brow kit in Foxy. On my lips is Revlon Just Bitten kissable balm stain in Lovesick. Then I've just finished my make-up with mac fix+. I've been going for the more natural look recently as I feel it's quick and easy to do, although normally I would have used some eye make-up!

My Life has been pretty busy at the moment, last month I got my A level results (ABB) and found out that I had got a place in Lancaster University to study Politics and Sociology. It's pretty scary to think that in a couple of weeks I will have moved out on my own for the first time. I've also quit my job at Debenhams because I don't want to come back every weekend to work and I've also not been enjoying working there for a long time. I move into uni on the 30th September, which is such a late start compared with most other UK universities. The thought of being all alone with nobody that I know is daunting, but I'm sure that most people feel like that! I'm going to be focusing more on my blog and I've got lots of ideas for new blog posts so hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things! I'm also going to blog about my uni experience so look out for those posts!

Shona xx

June favourites!

Hi guys, first of all I would like to apologise for not blogging in the past couple of weeks, I have just had my A level exams, but now I have finished them I should be up to speed with everything.

1. Joico K-Pak reconstruct treatment - (feel unique) £14.95
My hair is in serious need of some TLC! For years I have coloured and bleached my hair and I have paid the price for it. Currently my hair is quite dry, but leaving this treatment on my hair for half an hour after washing really does make a difference. My hair is soft, shiny and doesn't feel damaged. I don't know what I would do without this product, I have repurchased it, which is a first for me and hair products!

2. Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat leave in conditioner - (feel unique) £11.05
One thing I have always neglected when it comes to haircare is a leave in conditioner, after hearing Estee (http://www.essiebutton.com/) reccomend this leave in conditioner I decided to try it. Not only does this de-tangle my hair nicely, it also leaves my hair feeling soft and conditioned. I also like the smell.

3. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua- (debenhams) £32
Foundations are something that I love to try, however I have never found my perfect foundation. I tried this foundation after much deliberating and I have to say I love it. This foundation blends in to the skin perfectly and gives a nice natural glow to the skin. This foundation is not heavy and cakey and has converted me from full- coverage foundations. This may just be my 'perfect' foundation.

4. Loreal Superliner Perfect slim - (boots) £6.99
I've always loved to wear black eyeliner and recently I've been drawn to 'pen' liners as they are quick and easy to use. This liner has such an intense black colour to say that it is a pen liner. This is a winner for me.

5. Hd  Brows Kit - (hd brows) £19
I used to use the benefit brow zings, however the powder included was too red toned for me and I wanted to use another product so I turned to the HD Brows. The colours in 'Foxy' are perfect for my brows and the colours can also be used as eyeshadows!

6. Tweezers with attitude - (ebay) £3.09
These tweezers are by far the best I've used. They're also really cute because they come shaped into different girls. Mine were limited edition christmas tweezers, but there are plenty of other styles on ebay.

It was quite hard to choose favourites this month as I am still loving a lot of the products from last months favourites!

Mini Body Shop Haul

Hey guys! Today I popped to the Cheshire Oaks outlet in Ellesmere port, and whilst there I ventured into the Body Shop store. I got some amazing bargains in there because if you buy two items you get 30% off, if you buy three you get 35% off and if you buy 4 or more items you get 40% off! I bought 6 items so I received 40% off everything, and saved around £20.
I bought a rounded face brush, as I have been wanting to try one of these for awhile, I think using one of these will give my face a really good clean. I bought a large Coconut body scrub, as at the minute I'm really trying to keep my skin soft and supple, so a good scrub is something that I've needed to invest in. I also bought a bath lily as the one I have needs replacing. The next three items that I bought are from the body shops new 'Chocomania' range. I smelt one of the chocomania products and I felt like I was in heaven! The smell is divine, lovely and chocolatly and scrummy! Anyway, from this range I bought; the body lotion, the shower cream and the beautifying oil which can be used on hair, face and skin. All in all, I'm really happy with what I bought, as I'm able to try out some new, yummy products with 40% off.

Shona xx

May Favourites!

Hey guys, I'd thought that I'd start doing regular monthly favourite posts, this month it was quite easy to choose my favourite beauty products. I've been using quite a few new products recently, so I've had a wide selection to choose from.

As you can see in the photo above, I have chosen nine products which I have loved this month. My favourites are in no particular order.

1. Nivea Visage Daily Essentials Night Cream - £4.35 (boots)

The first thing that I have been loving this month is the Nivea Visage Night Cream. I was running low on my night time moisturiser so I decided to pop into boots and see what they had to offer, I saw this night cream that is suitable for dry skin and was also as cheap as chips! I have been using this cream every night after I cleanse my face and I have to say - it is wonderful! This cream is very moisturising without being heavy or greasy and it really does leave my skin feeling soft and nourished. I think the price tag for this product is absolutely amazing as well.


2. Maybelline Dream Smooth Primer - £8.99 (boots & superdrug)

I bought this primer because I used to really neglect using a primer before my foundation, I have used the MUA primer, but I feel that it just disappears into my skin and does absolutely nothing. This primer has a smooth gel-like texture and a little bit goes a really long way. My skin does feel really smooth and primed when I use this product. The price of £8.99 does seem quite steep for a drug store product, however I do feel as though you get what you pay for when it comes to primers.


3. Rehab Shampoo - £9.95 250g (lush)

I decided to get this shampoo because I wanted to try and use more natural products whilst trying to rejuvenate my hair. 'Rehab' caught my eye because it claims to repair your hair and scalp. This shampoo has a really nice smell that to me smells citrus-ey and herb-aly. When I use this shampoo with Lush's Retread conditioner my hair smells amazing for days. My hair has been really soft and silky and healthy since I've started using this shampoo and I will be repurchasing when it runs out (although a little goes a long way so that won't be for awhile.)


4. Models Own Nail Varnish 'Lilac Dream' - £5 (boots)

This is a really pretty colour on the nails, It is a lilacy-pink colour and I have been wearing it a lot this month. I think that the Model's own Nail varnish formulas are really good, as the varnish tends to stay on the nails without chipping for quite awhile.


5. Real techniques buffing brush - £21.99 (as part of set) (boots)

I bought the Real Techniques core collection kit from Boots, as I had heard plenty of good things about the Real Techniques brushes. These brushes are so cheap compared to brands such as Mac, Sigma etc. The brush is made from synthetic hair and is really soft on the skin. This brush is great for applying liquid foundation to my skin and it leaves a really flawless finish.


6. Bobbi Brown Corrector - £17.00 (selfridges, john lewis, online)

I have this in the shade 'Porcelain Bisque.' I think that the shades available are really great, as my shade is almost 'off-white' and great at correcting my bright circles. This corrector is great at covering my under eye circles and it doesn't go 'cakey' as the formula is not too thick. I have been using this every day and I am loving it. Anything to help my dark circles is a miracle for me.


7. Sleek Blush 'Rose Gold - £4.30 (superdrug)

I had been after this blusher for ages, it's a wonderful shimmery pink with golden undertones. This is such a pretty colour and it suits my skintone really well. The price is really great for this blush as you get 8g of product as well, so it will last ages even with daily use.


8. Dark Plum Lipstick - 50p

I have been loving this lipstick loads, I purchased it from a market in my town for 50p and it is an amazing lipstick- especially for the price. The liptick is so creamy and pigmented, which is great for me because some lipticks really dry my lips out which is not a good look. I'm sorry that you guys can't buy this lipstick but I just wanted to include it.


9. Colorsport 30 day mascara (dark brown) - around £5.00 (bodycare) £8.25 (boots)

I used this product to dye my eyebrows in order to make them appear thicker and need less 'filling in.' The results from this product were amazing, in just a few minutes my eyebrows were a darker brown and looked 100% thicker than they did before. I can not rave about this product enough and I totally reccomend it if you want darker, thicker brows.

Okay guys, so that's the end of my May favourites post! I'm sorry that so many items were included but I've been loving so many things this month.

Shona xx

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara Review

In this blog post I am reviewing the Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara in black. The mascara can be bought from boots or superdrug for £9.99, so it is readily available.

The mascara comes in standard looking green packaging, so it is not exactly eye-catching on first glance, so it's not usually something that I would go for when browsing make-up. I got this mascara as part of free gift for spending a certain amount of money on revlon products, the mascara that I got was full size as well. This has been in my drawer unused for ageeees whilst I've been using other mascaras. What originally put me off this mascara was the massive fibre brush, I normally prefer small plastic brushes as I think they give the best effect on my eyelashes. However, I decided to start using this mascara, and I have to say I have been impressed by the results...

These how my lashes are without mascara (please ignore unruly brows!)

These are my lashes with one coat of the Revlon Grow Luscious

A couple of coats later...

As you can see by the pics, the grow luscious mascara does a pretty good job with giving me long thick lashes. When it comes to the claim to make your lashes grow, I can't comment because I've not been using this mascara long enough to tell. The price of £9.99 isn't the cheapest around but I do think the product is fairly good and most mascaras tend to be around £7+. All in all I think this is a good  mascara and I would give it a;
7.5/10

Let me know if you've tried this mascara

Shona xx

Mac Studio Sculpt foundation Review

Hey guys, in this blogpost I'm going to be reviewing the mac studio sculpt foundation. I haven't seen much said about this foundation compared to others, so I thought that I'd offer my opinions on the product. This foundation retails for £23, so this is a higher market product. I was matched to NC15, which is the lightest shade available. This shade is a good match for me in the summer, however, in the colder winter months when my skin is a little bit lighter, this foundation just is not light enough. When I wear this foundation it can make me look a little orange, which is not a look that I like. I think that mac should have a wider range of shades available for people who have very pale skin, as I am not the lightest person that I know, so I know that NC15 really would be too dark on some people. Companies such as Nars and Illamasqua, have a wider range of foundation shades available, for people with both very light and very dark skin tones.
This foundation leaves a 'dewy' finish on the skin, as opposed to a natural or matte finish. I bought this foundation because i do have dry to normal skin. When I apply this foundation to my skin, it does give the dewy finish, however my skin seems to be wet and greasy. For example, if a couple of hours after applying my foundation, I put my phone to my ear to speak on it, then my foundation rubs off onto the phone and leaves greasy marks!
This foundation is build able, so you can achieve a full coverage look if you would like, another claim is that this foundation is long lasting, which I do not fully agree with. After a few hours the foundation does need re-applying.
All in all, I think that this is a fairly average foundation, which for £23 is not quite good enough, if you look around on the high street then you can find better products for your money!
Shona xxx