Color Crafted Lipstick

I'm kicking myself for not buying this when I had a chance and now that it's sold out at all 3 of my MAC counters I want it so badly.
I'm considering getting it off Ebay but before I do that does anyone know of a good dupe for it?

Collection 2000 Hot Looks Review

Every one's been raving about how good these are but in my opinion they are nothing special, the quality isn't consistent and they apply badly.
The brush is appalling and the main reason why these polishes suck, it's so wide and the bristles splay out on the side. It took me twice as long as it normally does to paint my nails and I wasn't pleased with the result.
The consistency is so thick that you need twice as much polish as you normally do to cover the whole nail, it's almost like the polish is drying on the brush not to mention that I got a whole lot of bubbles in my application.
It's labeled as fast drying and while it does start to dry on the brush during application it doesn't completely set for over an hour and that's with a fast drying top coat.
Yes some of the color are pretty, especially Dynasty but they are not worth bothering with. They are a cheap product and on this occasion you can tell.



Dynasty



Button Moon

Topshop and Soap & Glory Haul

Today was a very successful shopping trip indeed, I usually have the hardest time finding clothes and shoes that I like or ones that fit properly.
I don't usually buy much from Topshop because their sizes run quite big and a lot of the time they have usually run out of the one I want.
As for the Soap & Glory I blame Zoella, she did a post on it a few days ago and the stuff she got looked relly nice so I thought I'd give it a go.



Petite black trowsers for work.



Petite black leggings, I stocked up and got 2 pairs.



Pale grey t-shirt to wear with leggings.





My favourite purchase of the day is these gorgeous black patent leather shoes, they are super comfy and have a reasonable heel so I can still walk in them.



Off Your Face Cleansing Cloths, supposed to cleanse, tone and exfoliate all in one.
Hand Food Hand Cream, I've had this before and it's a really good handcream but the scent is so sickly sweet. I'll be using it before bed so I'm not really gonna notice.
Glow Job Daily Radiance Moisture Lotion, funny name aside it actually does give skin a light tan, can't wait to try this tommorow.
The Fab Pore Intensive Action Pore Refining Facial Peel, basically a deep cleansing mask I shall be using this shortly and will report back with my thoughts.

Diorskin Nude Review

This is a review for the Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Hydrating Makeup and Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Fresh Powder Makeup, both retail for £28 each and can be found at most large department stores.



I've had about a month to test out both and can report back that one I love and the other one I don't.

The liquid version is amazing and I like it more than my Korres Wild Rose.
The texture is wonderfully creamy and moisturising, it glides on effortlessly and give medium to full coverage but feels like nothing on the skin.
It just gives the look of perfectly flawless, dewy, glowy skin but without shimmer or making you look like a grease ball and it lasts all day without needing a touch up.
I got it in the shade Light Beige which looks perfect when first applied but oxidises and turns ever so slightly pink on me, however it's not noticeable as I usually set it with a yellow toned powder.
It's a brilliant foundation and even though it's on the expensive side one bottle will last ages.

Now the powder version isn't as great.
As a foundation on it's own it's pretty useless, it doesn't cover well, goes on blotchy, it makes my skin look flat and lifeless and simply doesn't give the glow it's liquid counterpart does.
As a setting powder over foundation it works okay, it gives slight extra coverage but makes you look more matte.
The powder version doesn't oxidise on me like the liquid, actually it seems to balance out the pink tones of the liquid version so I guess it good for that, it doesn't cake and feel very refreshing on the skin as it as an high concentration of water.
I think I'll stick with my Giorgio Armani powder, which I love and I'll stick to Bare Escentuals for powder mineral makeup.

Top 10 Polishes

A lot of bloggers have already done this tag and it's done it's round on youtube too so I figured I'd join in.
Choosing just 10 out of the 100 or more that I have was a difficult task indeed, I love nail polish and will wear pretty much any color but my favourites change all the time so these are the ones I love at the moment.



Nails Inc Brook Street, the perfect coral and my most used polish of all time but it's been discontinued so if you want to get your hands on it do it now. A close dupe would be Drury Lane also by Nails Inc.

Nails Inc Jermyn Street, is a gorgeous taupe shade that's very fashionable. It's one of those colors that people will ask you what your wearing cause it's unusual.

Nails Inc Hanover Street, everyone needs this color in my opinion, there's tons of dupes out there but the Nails Inc version is so much more pigmented and vibrant.

Nails Inc Portobello Market, the most gorgeous pastel orange that looks amazing on toes.

Nails Inc Black Taxi, my "go to" shade when I'm not sure on what color to go for.

Barry M #295 Turquoise, super pretty shade of creamy Turquoise, this is what I'm using as a dupe for China Glaze's For Audrey even though I'm not sure they are not that similar.

Barry M #304 Mint Green, the perfect mint green and the perfect dupe for MAC's Peppermint Patty.

Chanel #461 Blue Satin, dark navy blue with the most subtle blue shimmer that's barely visible on the nail, chips really fast though.

Bloom Molly, the brightest neon pink ever.

GOSH #546 Rainbow, one of those flakie polishes that gives a wicked effect on your nails. I find it best over a dark base, it reflects orange, gold and green.

Small Nail Polish Purchase

Just a couple of new colors and some nail growth treatment to try and get my nails to grow longer.
The collection 2000 was on offer at Superdrug and Boots, 2 for £3 and I picked up the Sally Hansen because Helen from Hele Says... raves about it.



Collection 2000 Hot Looks in #35 Dynasty, I'm relly liking pale lilacs at the moment and this one is very pretty.
Collection 2000 Hot Looks in #33 Button Moon, similar too Barry M's Mint Green but a touch lighter and more Turquoise.
Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle, promises 30% longer nails in 5 days I've been using it for 3 and can't say I've noticed a differance.

Bloom Nail Polish Review

I've never tried Bloom polishes before however I'm really impressed by the quality and the color selection.

Bloom is stocked in Superdrug and the polishes retail for £8.
I got the shade called Molly which is a bright neon matte pink and probably the brightest shade of pink I have ever come across.



The formulation of this polish is great, it as the perfect consistency, not too thin and not too thick, it goes on evenly without streaking and I could get away with one coat if I really wanted to as the coverage is amazing.
Lasting power is okay, I found that with a base and top it lasted 5 days before it started to chip which is about average for me.
For me this is worth getting for the color alone, it could have completely sucked and I would have still loved it just because of the shade, it's the perfect summer pink and I can see myself wearing it a lot.

Superdrug Haul

Whent a little crazy in Superdrug the other day, I never usually but this much from there in one go, I needed a little basket to carry the stuff to the till.



Barry M Lip Gloss Wand in #4 Pastel Pink
Barry M Lip Gloss Wand in #5 Bubblegum Pink
Bloom Nail Polish in Molly
Garnier Pure Active Spot Fighting 24Hr Moisturiser
Garnier Pure Active Blackhead Clearing Scrub
Garnier Pure Active Deep Pore Unclogging Wash
Batiste Dry Shampoo in Diva

Something not from Superdrug that I got on the same day is the By Terry Baume De Rose, lollipop26 raves about this stuff but I'm not sure about it.



Reviews comming soon.

MAC Color Craft Haul/Review

Color craft is huge and could potentially mean you spend loads however I've found a lot of it is similar to past releases, the color payoff was poor or just not unique enough to justify purchase.

This is what I got: Sunny By Nature and Cheeky Bronze MSF, Daft Pink MB, Girlish Romp MES and the #131 brush. Also pictured is Florabundance lipglass but that's not part of the collection.





Mineralize Eye Shadow: I'm not gonna go into detail for every one of those as they are all pretty much the same, pigmentation is rubbish and it's mostly just shimmer and no color payoff. Natural Flare and Girlish Romp are the only too that I was drawn too and while I like the colors of Girlish Romp in the pan I really have to use these wet for it to show up on my eyes, Natural Flare is probably the most pigmented of the six and I'll probably go back for that one.

Marbelized Lipglass: boring, I hated the previous release of these that came out with Sugarsweet as they were too sheer, the Color Craft ones are more pigmented but they are too pricey for what they are. They are a less sticky version of the regular kind in a "hard to get out" tube, the colors aren't anything unique or amazing and they cost £2.50 more than normal lipglass. No thank you I'll pass on those.

Mineralize Skinfinish: if there one thing MAC does well it's their Minaralize Skinfinishes, these are no exception.

Triple Fusion, a lovely gold shade with hints of peach, would make a fantastic highlighter.
Smooth Merge, sort of like a more pigmented prettier version of Petticoat, might go back for this one.
Warm Blend, a gorgeous creamy golden bronze shade that's better suited to darker skin, lighter skin can wear this but you need a very light hand.
Porcelain Pink, a re-promote from High Tea and Goldplay making this one a must have for collectors, I already had this one from before and it's not one a reach for often. It's a pretty pink shot trough with gold but I find it quite plain and boring.
Sunny By Nature, lovely bronze shade with the most subtle pink iridescence, really light up my face and makes me glow.
Cheeky Bronze, a sparkly peachy bronze that work very well over Sunny By Nature, this one is the one to buy as I find it suits everyone.

Lipstick: the only one I wanted was Color Crafted but by the time I got back to my MAC counter it had sold out. The other colors in my opinion are boring and easily dupable.

Mineralize Blush: most off these have no pigmentation whatsoever they are just highly shimmery and work best layered over a similar color blush.
However I don't regret getting Daft Pink, it's a unique shade and I didn't have anything similar in my collection. The only other one that caught my eye was Style Demon which is a warm red with copper shimmer.

#131 Duo Fibre Powder/Blush Brush, I've used it for blush so far and I like it a lot better than the #187 or the #188. The shape of the brush is a lot easier too work with and I can see it being useful for applying foundation too.

#109 Small Contour Brush, part of the permanent line so no need to rush out and buy however if you use a lot of cream based blush or bronzer (Chanel Bronze Universel in particular) this brush is a must have.

#226 Small Tapered Blending Brush, why is this brush limited edition? Perfect for defining the crease and blending harsh lines.

Must have's of Color Craft: Cheeky Bronze and Smooth Merge mineralize Skinfinish, Color Crafted lipstick, Daft Pink and Style Demon Mineralized Blush, #131 and #226 brush.

MAC Naked Honey Haul/Review

The only thing I knew I would be getting from this collection was the Naked Honey Skin Salve, the Naked Honey perfume caught my attention in the store but I'm regretting getting it now.



Naked Honey Body Wash, over priced and as zero scent or at least I can't smell anything.

Naked Honey Hand and Body Cream, basic lotion and didn't feel particularly moisturising. Again over priced and as the same scent issues as the body wash.

Naked Honey Skin Salve is fantastic, I've never come across a balm that feels as moisturising and nourishing as this one does.
The texture is phenomenal too, thick and smooth but not waxy or greasy, this is NOT expensive Vaseline as some people have pointed out.
In my opinion this is the star of the collection and the only thing worthy of a possible backup.

Creations Hue Naked Honey, smelled really quite lovely in the store, like pure honeysuckle but turns rancid once you've worn it for a couple of hours, seriously regretting buying this one.

Creations Hue Africanimal, smells like honey and formaldehyde, really need I say more?

High-Light Powder in Honey Light, a basic flesh toned powder covered in gold overspray. Once the overspray is gone this is pretty pointless as it does nothing to highlight skin and is matte.

High-Light Powder in Golden Nectar, a light tan shade with gold overspray, again once the gold shimmer top coat is gone your left with a matte light bronzer, pointless.

Creme de Miel e/s, a basic light shimmery gold shade, pretty but MAC's released tons of this shade in the past.

Pollinator e/s, a light frosty peachy coral, pigmentation is rubbish and the color isn't unique.

Buckwheat e/s, a pretty dark warm brown flecked with gold, this one is worth getting if you don't have many browns in your collection.

She's a Star l/g, pretty light gold and would look great over a nude lipstick but I have plenty of glosses similar to this one.

Queen Bee l/g, a light sparkly peach and absolutely no pigmentation on my lips, disappointing.

Buzz l/g, a medium coppery red/brown, not my kind of color but would look great on darker skin tones.

Things I'd recommend: the skin salve, Creme de Miel and Buckwheat eyeshadows and She's a Star lipglass.

Shiseido The Skincare Tinted Moisture Protection Review

I'm not a big fan of tinted moisturisers as I always find them way to oily and they don't give enough coverage, this one is an exception.



This is the first tinted moisturiser I actually enjoy wearing, it's very lightweight in texture but gives medium coverage with a slight dewy finish.
Somehow it covers imperfections and makes my pores look invisible but it doesn't look like I'm wearing anything, it just looks like I've got perfectly even luminous skin.
It wears beautifully too, I can wear it a full working day and it's still pretty much all there, I might have too blot half way trough but I have to do that with most foundations anyways.
I also love the light scent and the fact it as SPF of 20, why companies still choose to use SPF 10/15 in their tinted moisturisers is completely baffling as these are targeted for summer, the higher the SPF the better really.

I have this in shade 1Light and in the winter it can be a little dark so this is strictly for summer use.
I got mine from House Of Fraser last summer and can't remember how much I paid for it, I think it might have been around the £25 mark but in any case it was well worth it.

Batiste Dry Shampoo Review

Batiste Dry Shampoo is one of those products that you use once and you can never be without.

I have the wierdest textured hair ever, I have a lot of fine wavy hair that as a tendency to go frizzy but at the same time it can get really oily at the roots and it's dry and damaged on the ends from chemical abuse, to make matters worse it's dyed red which is well known for fading fast.
Consequently I hate the whole process of washing and styling my hair, watching my beautiful color go down the drain makes me sad and blowdrying and straightening my hair is a tedious and sometimes pointless process, as it doesn't stay that way and needs touching up in the morning.

Batiste Dry Shampoo is a miracle in a can, I just spray it onto my roots wait two minutes and brush it trough and I'm left with voluminous clean hair that smells good.
I actually like to use it even when my hair is clean as it seems to had hold and I quite like the slightly matte bed head look it gives to my locks.
Now this may sound nasty but I have gone a week, on occasions, without washing my hair by using this product and my hair will still look okay, granted it will feel quite dirty but it won't look it, on average I can go a good 4 days before I need to re-wash and style.

I also love the fact it comes in different scents so in a way it doubles as hair perfume, Batiste as recently added two new fragrances, Boho and Diva to their usual line up of Original, Tropical and Blush.

Out of all the dry shampoos I've tested this one as been the cheapest and the one that works the best, Klorane makes my second favourite but it's more expensive and you need a lot more for it to work.

You can buy Batiste in the UK at Boots and Superdrug and I think in the US you can now get it from Sally's.

www.batistedryshampoo.co.uk

Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Review

Urban Decay as always been a brand that one step ahead of everyone else in terms of originality, their product are known for being unusual and different and the quality is always outstanding.

Pocket Rocket lipgloss as got to be the most original lipgloss of all, I mean come on it's called "Pocket Rocket" need I say more?
Suggestive name aside the lid of the gloss houses a little hologram picture of a man that when tilted a certain way appears naked apart from is underwear.



The gloss itself is super smooth and moisturising, it's super glossy and the lasting power is amazing, I can easily get 4 hours wear out of these and that's including a sip or two of water.
The scent is okay, it's very stong and can be sickly but it fades after a while. It supposed to be scented with creme brulee but to me it sort of smells like caramel popcorn.
The shade's are all very pretty and I found it quite hard to choose the two I did, I can see myself buying more.



Kirk is a sheer caremel nude shade and as no sparkle, it looks great over lighter nude lipsticks to make the color a bit warmer and more wearable.
Doug is a sheer sparkly medium pink that still as enough pigmentation to show up on it's own, the sparkly shade's remind me of a nicer version of MAC's Dazzleglass.

For £10.50 they are a fantastic gloss and the quality beats a lot of the more expensive ones, there's quite a selection of colors to choose from and they are all very wearable, for me personally these are the perfect lipgloss ever.

Another Day, Another Haul.

More new stuff for me to play with, quite a bit of which I've been putting off for a while but finally caved in.
I'm trying to buy less new make-up but at the moment I'm failing miserably.




The new Sleek Safari Palette



Batiste Boho Dry Shampoo, they have another new one too called Diva but it was out of stock at Superdrug.
Natural High Brightening Eye Cream, on sale for £2.60 as light reflective particles as well as an AHA complex to gently exfoliate the eye area, bought one for my sister too as she as dreadful dark circles and her eyes are really dry.



Urban Decay Pocket Rocket in Doug
Urban Decay Pocket Rocket in Kirk
Urban Decay Liquid Liner in Minx
GOSH Soft N' Shine Balm in Antique Gold, lovely caramel gold color but the shimmer doesn't stay put and within a hour of wear I have a glittery nose and chin.
Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Color in #04 Nectar



YSL Rouge Pur Shine in #32 Frozen Mango
Estee Lauder Pure Color Lasting Lipstick in Vanilla Truffle
Estee Lauder Pure Color Crystal Gloss in Honey Glaze

Forgot to mention I also bought two tubs of hair mask from a range called Naked which specialises in natural products.
They were 2 for £10 so I got the Naked Shine Glossing Hair Treatment and Naked Vitamin Boost Treatment.

Their website:
www.nakedbodycare.co.uk

The Body Shop Tentalising Lip Butter Review.

This is The Body Shop's new lip butter in partnership with MTV and proceeds will be used to support the 2009 campaign for raising awareness on HIV and AIDS.
This fact alone is what made me buy this one over the Cherry which was the one I originally went in for and I'm glad I did cause I absolutely adore it.



The scent is fabulous and it's the first thing you notice, it's supposed to be dragon fruit however I've never smelled one of those before, the best way I can describe it is a combination of passion fruit and pineapple, it's absolutely mouthwatering.
Texture is sort of a thick cream it's not slick or slippy and it's not waxy either the best way I can describe it is super thick Nivea Cream, it actually moisturises my lips and honestly there are very few that do, if I apply this before bed I wake up with full plump lips that actually stay that way during the day.
Something I wasn't expecting is that I would like the color it gives my lips because if you look at the picture below it's white.



On my moderately pigmented lips it turns out a pretty milky pink and I actually find myself wearing this on it's own in place of lipstick and gloss.I also like to use it over nude lipsticks to give a more peachy tint and to change a bright shade into a pastel one.

This is limited edition so I'm gonna make sure I stock up before it dissapears and I'm tempted to also try the cherry as that one had a slight pink tint.
It's £5 well spent, fantastic lip balm and you're giving money to charity.