Barry M Peach Melba - Swatch & Review

Another one of Barry M's new spring shades, Peach Melba is a creamy pastel peach with no shimmer and a very on trend shade for spring/summer 2011

I love peachy shades so I knew I'd love this but I just wished the texture was a bit smoother, it's not to bad but it does drag and streak a little so a third coat is necessary.

It is a really pretty shade that will compliment all skin tones and one that I think everyone should go out and get.

Day Light

Artificial Light

August The Good and The Bad

I can't belive it's the end of August and summer is over even though the UK hasn't really had any good weather, before you know it Christmas will be here.
On the plus side all of the new Autumn/Winter makeup collections are being released and I'm excited for that.

The Good

MAC Cleanse Off oil, as been my favourite cleanser for the past few months and I'm almost out and looking for a replacement.
The Body Shop Seaweed Deep Clensing Facial Wash, only recently started using this but I'm loving it so far.
Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation, my new HG foundation, I want to try the cream version next.
MAC Eyeshadow in Blanc Type, Modest Tone, Dark Edge and Satin Taupe, I've been doing a lot of neutrals lately and these fit the bill perfectly.
Illamasqua Bronzing Duo in Glinth/Write, I've been loving this but it will probably get retired now were going into autumn as I generally don't use bronze shades when it gets colder.
Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Rude, I've worn this pretty much every day since I got it and I adore it.
Illamasqua Lipstick in Sonnet and Maneater, I love the texture and lastability of Illamasqua lipsticks and these two colors are fab.
Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in #112 Ambre Rose, this is my dupe for MAC Color Crafted lipstick.
MAC Mattene Lipstick in Kirsch, I've been wearing it dabbed on and mixed with a balm, it's very dark but perfect for autumn.
By Terry Baume De Rose, expensive but so moisturising and it give a pretty tint of color.
Barry M Nail Paint in Pink Flamingo, I've been wearing this every chance I get, it's the perfect pinky coral.
Boots Build Up Removal Shampoo, I've been suffering from awful product build up and my hair is lank and dull, one wash with this shampoo and my hair looks and feels healty again.
Marc Jacobs Lola Perfume, this is my new scent, it's sweet and heavy and the bottle alone is reason enough for me to get it.

The Bad

None, there's nothing this month that as dissapointed me enough to put it in this section.

Barry M Nail Paint in Pink Flamingo Review

I know I'm late to this one and a lot of bloggers have already talked about it but I feel I need to also mention it as it's truly a beautiful color.



Pink Flamingo is a vivid creamy pink that as a coral undertone, it's bright but not fluorescent and very wearable, these sort of shades tend to suit most people.
Like all Barry M nail polishes they go on smoothly and evenly, they don't streak, dry fast and last well without chipping.
I've been wearing it at much as possible and I love it, it's very similar to Nails Inc's Brook Street which as been discontinued and it's a bargain at only £2.95.

Latest Collective Haul

Okay so even though I've told myself I need to stop buying cosmetics I have no self control so here is another haul but please bear in mind this as been building up for the past 3 weeks.



Soap & Glory Hair Supply, great lightweight hair mask and it leaves my hair super smooth.
Soap & Glory Flake Away, I've used this before works really well at exfoliating dead skin and leaves you moisturised but not oily.
Soap & Glory Clean On Me, a gorgeous shower cream that cleans without stripping.
Soap & Glory Heel Genius, an overnight foot cream that leaves feet baby soft by morning.



Barry M Natural Dazzle Bronzer, everyone raves about this one I'm still not convinced.
Barry M Nail Paint in #305 Pink Flamingo, I love this shade.
Sleek Curious Palette, great quality as usual but I feel Sleek are running out of color choices as these are not particularly unique or different to the other palettes of theirs.

Lush have an offer on at the moment, when you spend £20 or over you get a free product of your choice from a selection of their 20 newest ones.



Lush Ultra Bland Cleanser, takes of make-up in seconds but it also leaves me feeling like I've used butter on my face, not sure if this could cause me breakouts.
Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter, works awesome and smells great too.
Lush Vanilla Dee-Lite Lotion, this was free for spending £20
Lush Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask, the SA gave this to me for free, used it once smells awful (like garlic) but work okay.
Lush New Shampoo Bar, have re-purchased this countless times, love it as a clarifying shampoo.
Lush Strawberry Fields Massage Bar, I use this on my legs as they get really dry and it works amazingly well.
Not pictured: samples of Catastrophe Cosmetics, Aqua Marina and Dark Angels



RMK Creamy Make Up Base Mat in 01, bought it cause on pixiwoo's blog this is described as the bast matte primer ever.
MAC Studio Moisture Tint in Medium, haven't used this on my face yet but I tried it on my hand in store, feels wonderful but the scent is awful.
RMK Herb Mist in Rose, the same sort of thing as Fix It+ but smaller and more handbag friendly, smells of roses would you believe.
RMK were doing GWP when you bough 2 products, I didn't take a picture but it was a gold flip flops and nail polish set that I'll probably never use.

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.

June's The Good and The Bad

Thanks to the lovely heat wave we've been having in the UK I've been having trouble keeping my make-up on, the air conditioning system were I work is broke and I'm literally melting.
The humidity is so bad that as off today I'm not even gonna bother straightening my hair anymore cause it either turns into a ball of frizz or goes flat and limp.
Consequently I've found myself not using as much because I'm too sweaty to be bothered.

The Good:

MAC Cleanse Off Oil, still loving this from last month, I don't think I'll ever find a product that cleanses so well.
Elemis Sensitive Cleansing Wash, I use this to wash my face in the morning. It smells amazing, is super gentle on skin and it moisturises.
MAC Prep + Prime Face Protect SPF50, I'm using this as my moisturiser and sunscreen in one, it's not a thick and heavy as my moisturiser.
Sleek's eye shadow pallates, the quality is amazing and they only cost £4.87.
NARS Laguna, I keep trying new bronzers and always go back to this one.
MAC Mineralize Blush in Dainty and Pleasantry.
Dior Lip Glow, perfect shade of translucent pink and the texture is light and not greasy.
MAC lipsticks in Brave New Bronze, Angel and Saint Germain.
Barry M lip paints in Peachy Pink and Dolly Pink.

The Bad:

Moisturiser, it's too hot and sticky for me to want to use one and the ones for oily skin are lighter but don't actually moisturise.
Foundation, because of the hot weather and no air conditioning I can't get any of my foundations to stay.
Hair straightening, again because of the heat and humidity my hair does not stay straigh no matter what I do.
Lush Porridge soap, I had a feeling this was the cause of breakouts on my back and chest and I was right.

Barry M Lip Paints Review

Barry M as recently released 4 new pink shades and I absolutely love them.
The colors are Peachy Pink, Dolly Pink, Punky Pink and Cerise Pink.

Back in April I reviewed Barry M lip paints and was not impressed with them mainly because of the texture being dry and the colors being unwearable for me.
But having tried the new ones I feel I judged the lip paints a little harshly, I still don't like Marshmellow or Baby Pink and I don't think my opinion on those too will ever change, Palest Lavender is okay but lasting power means I wouldn't re-purchase.

I don't know if they changed the formula or what but the new ones are gorgeous, they go on smooth, pigmentation is amazing, they aren't drying and the colors are really flattering.

I got 3 of the 4 new colors, Punky Pink and Cerise Pink are to alike for me to wanna get both and Cerise Pink is something I would wear more in the winter.

#147 Peachy Pink is just like the name implies, slightly more on the peach side than pink, it's probably the most wearable of the bunch and the only one that's matte in texture however it isn't drying.

#146 Dolly Pink is a medium bright cool pink that is sort of along the lines of MAC Saint Germain but a little deeper and not as loud. Saint Germain is one of my favourite lipsticks but I have to say I prefer Dolly Pink cause it's easier to wear.

#145 Punky Pink is a bright hot pink that's similar to MAC's Girl About Town in both color and texture. Looks great for summer paired with a nude eye and lightly flushed pink cheeks.

#144 Cerise Pink is a deep raspberry shade and only a shade darker than Punky Pink which stopped me from buying it.

I would reccomend to anyone who is looking into buying a lip paint to go and test them first, they are not labeled according to finish and texture and belive me they differ greatly.

I really hope in the future Barry M will release more color as long as the quality is on par with these.

Collective Haul

Yep another haul, this as been accumulating for the past 3 weeks.

Natural Collection was on 3 for £5 and a couple of their items had caught my eye so I got:



Fondant Juicy Lips Lip Gloss, I got two of those.
Apple Blossom Moisture Shine Lipstick.
A sample of Dior Nude and one of Dior Forever.

Both items are a huge disappointment, love the colors but the quality of the product is appalling, full review coming soon.

I've been looking for neon pink and orange shadows for a while now so when I saw the new Sleek Acid palette I had to get it, what have you got to lose for £4.87.
I like them a lot and went back for the other two.



Acid Palette



Storm Palette



Original Palette

Next on to the Barry M, a couple of new polishes and the new Lip Paints:



#302 Fuchsia
#303 Bright Purple



#147 Peachy Pink
#146 Dolly Pink
#145 Punky Pink

A couple of Chanel's new Glossimers:



#131 Mica
#124 Venus

Last but not least a two new foundations by Dior, I know I've only just bought the Korres one's but after trying a sample of the Dior Nude I had to get it.



Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Hydrating Makeup in #020 Light Beige
Diorskin Nude Natural Glow fresh Powder Makeup in #020 Light Beige

Latest Haul

You've guessed it another haul but bear in mind that I do not buy all of this in one day it's been accumulating over the past 3 weeks and I'm too lazy to update every time I buy something.

Lush:



Sugar Babe; this is basically a solid sugar scrub bar enriched with Coconut oil for it's moisturising qualities. Not quite sure how you're supposed to use it but I split mine in four and used a quarter on damp skin and gently massaged it in to exfoliate, it starts melting as soon as it gets into contact with water so you have to work quick but I did like the feel of my skin afterwards.
Porridge Soap; this smells absolutely amazing, just like an oat cookie however my skin as broken out and I'm not sure if it's this that's causing it.

Urban Decay and Dior:



Urban Decay Get Baked Palette; I'm pretty damn sure I have most of the colors in this palette but it was too cute not to get.
It contains 4 eyeshadows in Twice baked' Half Baked, Flipside, Baked a mini 24/7 liner in Bourbon and a mini Sin primer.
The color are all very wearable and perfect for summer.
Dior Lip Glow; supposed to give your own personalised shade of pink, personally I can't see that and I find it goes the same shade on everyone.
Dior Lip Maximizer; this is supposed to plump your lips instantly as well as long term with continued use, again I've not used it enough to say if it works or not.

Barry M:



Dazzle Dust in:
#98 Petrol Black
#94 Teal
#93 Block Blue
#39 Tan
#44 Bronze
#89 Oyster Grey

Glossy Tubes in:
#4 Matte Pink
#9 Flamingo Pink
#11 Passion Pink

Korres:



The Korres Color range is amazing and I love everything I got, I will be doing a review on what I got.

Organic Face Primer
Wild Rose Foundation SPF20
Ginger and Vitamin Lightweight Foundation SPF 10

MAC:



Style Warriors impressed me more than I taught it would, I might actually go back and get a couple more things.

Lustre Drops in Pink Rebel and Bronze Hero; absolutely adore these as they are multi-purpose, they can be used as a liquid luminizer mixed with your foundation, as an highlighter and the darker shade can be used as a bronzer on lighter skintones.
Solar Bits in Scatterrays; there a reason why I didn't get these the first time round and that's because they were too chunky and glittery, I'm still trying to figure out why I bought one this time round cause I dislike it with a passion.
Wanna look like a disco fairy then these are a great buy however if you don't avoid like the plague.
Eye Shadow in Bright Future; Chrome Yellow's easier to blend and more wearable cousin.
Lipstick in Brave New Bronze; this is great for a warmer more natural nude lip and it's a satin which happens to be my favourite finish in a MAC lipstick.

May's The Good and The Bad

Wow a month as passed since I did my last one. All products mention have had some serious usage this month but it's not necessarily stuff I've bought new.

The Good:

MAC Cleanse Off Oil, literally melts off all traces of make-up with minimal effort.
Elemis Tri Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash, gives gentle daily exfoliation leaving skin smooth and glowing.
Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream, does wonders for my skin but I do feel I'll need to change soon as it can be a feel a little greasy when the weather is warmer and it as no SPF.
MAC Studio Fix Powder, been using this to set my liquid foundation and I love that it gives some coverage too.
Giorgio Armani Micro-Fil Loose Powder in 1, I use this on days were I want a more dewy look.
Chanel Inimitable Mascara, I like that it lenghtens and curls and It doesn't flake or smudge.
NARs Irrisistiblement Bronzer, it gives a nice realistic bronzed glow to my skin and look better with my skintone than Laguna
NARS Torrid Blush, been using this one a lot I love it for summer.
NARS Albatross Highlighter, can't live without product all year round.
YSL Pure Lipstick in #148 Tea Rose, love using this one with MAC's Pink Fish over the top.
MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Pink Fish, great over YSL's Tea Rose or any light pink lipstick for that matter.
Barry M Nail Paint in #304 Mint Green, just as the shade name says this is a pretty pastel mint green shade, goes on smooth and doesn't chip easily.
L'Oreal Serie Expert Vitamino Color Shampoo, slows down fading for my red hair
L'Oreal Serie Expert Vitamino Color Conditioning Mask, great cream/gel texture so it doesn't weigh down hair.
Tigi S Factor Serious Conditioner,I use this as a treatment when my hair is feeling particulary dry.
Cibu Sashini Thermal Shine Solution, fantastic multi-purpose product, smoothing fluid, thermal protectant and shine mist all in one.
Cibu Mousse Lee Foaming Volumizer, give volume and hold without drying out my damaged hair.
Batiste Dry Shampoo, refreshes you roots between shampoos so that they don't look greasy and it's only £2
Gucci Flora, my absolute perfect summer fragrance. If you love fruity florals this is a must.

The Bad:

Foundation, it's been lovely and warm over here lately and none of my foundations are wanting to stay put, even my Chanel Mat Lumiere is slipping off my face by lunch time, it's driving me mad.
Barry M Nail paint in #300 Acid Yellow, the texture is beyond bad and I can't get a smooth finish even with two coats.

Large Haul

Yes another haul, sale day at work means me spending money and I don't feel too bad as I got my staff discount on most of the stuff I bought.
I also bought some clothes but it's just basic boring stuff so I wont even bother showing it.

Lets start with the drug store stuff:



L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara: it as a little ball applicator sort of like the Givenchy one, to early to say if I like it yet as I've only used it once.
Olay Complete Care Multi-Radiance Daily Illuminating UV Fluid: love this as it's light and easily absorbed, gives a nice glow without being too shimmery and it as SPF15.
Boots Cucumber Cleansing Wipes: these were on offer two packs for £4 however I need at least 2 to remove my make up, they sting my eyes and I don't like the smell, I love my MAC Wipes and I think I'll stick with them in the future.



Barry M Nail Paint in #304 Mint Green: been waiting ages for this shade to it the shops and I love it, the perfect color for spring and summer.
Barry M Nail Paint in #300 Acid Yellow: this is the first polish by Barry M that I dislike, the texture is like water and it streak even after 2 coats.

Chanel:



Aqualumiere Lipstick in Positano: great color in the tube but it hardly shows up on my lips and as the lasting power of water, also it dries my lips out to the point were they flake and feel sore.
Bronze Universel Bronzing Make Up Base: love this product so much more than both of my NARS Bronzers, it's sheer but buildable being a cream product and it gives me a more realistic tanned effect.

Elemis:
This is the first time trying Elemis products and they are fast becoming my favourite for skincare.



Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser: melts make-up off fast and doesn't leave my skin feeling oily like most cleansers can.
Sensitive Cleansing Wash: haven't tried this yet but I'm sure it's wonderful.
Balancing Lavender Toner: love that it's in a spray and it doesn't leave my skin sticky, feels very calming on the skin.
Skin Buff: the best exfoliator ever my skin feels so smooth after I've used this.
Fruit Active Rejuvenating Mask: deep cleansing but at the same time it doesn't dry out my skin.



They have an offer on at the moment were if you buy 2 products you get to choose 5 travel sizes from a selection of 10 and buy a 3rd and you'll receive a full sized bottle of their Frangipani Moisture Melt.
I've wanted to try their Pro Collagen range for a while but it's so expensive and I feel I'm still a little to young to be using these on a regular basis but the travel sizes are the perfect way of trying out a product and giving skin a boost.



Pro Collagen Lifting Treatment for Neck and Bust: I like this better than I thought I would, it leaves skin very smooth and plump.
Pro Collagen Marine Cream: this is my HG skin cream it adds the perfect amount of moisture, smells heavenly and I swear my skin is so much more radiant since I've started using this. Only negative is it doesn't have built in SPF.
Pro Collagen Quartz Lift Serum: not sure I like this yet, I don't see any additional benefits from this than when I use the Marine Cream on it's own.
Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash: better than my old glycolic wash, it exfoliates just as well but is super gentle on skin.
Exotic Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt: the most luxurious body treatment on the market IMO, smells gorgeous and it sinks in fast and it can be used as an hair treatment and as cuticle oil too.

Perfume:



Gucci Flora
Escada Ocean Lounge

Lastly MAC:



Select SPF 15 in NC20
Studio Fix Fluid in NC20
Foundation Pump

I still have not found my perfect foundation so I thought I'd give these a try, actually that's a lie I've tried Studio Fix Fluid before and it was okay but I needed more coverage at the time.
I might have to exchange it for the NC15 because I think it's slightly too dark, you can even tell in the picture that the Select SPF is a shade lighter even though the shade number is the same.

Barry M Lip Paint Review

I'm gonna start by saying I absolutely adore Barry M nail polish and their dazzle dusts but the lip paint are a big disappointment.



From top to bottom
#129 Palest Lavender
#101 Marshmellow
#100 Baby Pink

There most certainly not lacking in color choice, they have everything covered from the lightest nude to the brightest pink but the texture of these are just awful and all of the lighter shade's look fine when swatched on the back of your hand but the second they go on the lips it's zombie central.

Baby Pink and Marshmallow have the driest texture out of any lipstick I've ever tried including the ones labeled as matte, I can literally feel it drag my lips and it applies unevenly and even with a balm underneath I still get that problem.
The color of both of these is lighter on the lips than the back of my hand the swatch above actually looks quite pretty but on the lips they practically look white, they are very chalky.
If I apply a warmer gloss over the top I can just about make these two work but there are similar colors in other brands that don't require this extra step that I prefer.
Palest lavender on the other hand is quite shiny and sheer and a lot more wearable but the color isn't very long lasting, I find myself re-applying this one a lot during the day, again a gloss does help it lasty but I don't want that to have to be a requirement.
Unless Barry M changes the formula of these I will definitely not re-purchase.

First Haul

So this is gonna be my first haul on here, I didn't buy all this in one day it's been accumulating over the past two weeks.
It's mostly lip stuff and a blusher which I forgot to take a picture of.

I've never tried GOSH make up and it was only brought to my attention thanks to lollipop26 on youtube but I must say I'm impressed and will be buying more.

The primer is great, similar to the Smashbox but loads cheaper and works just as well if not better, it does contain silicone so it may not suit everyone and I am acne prone so we shall see.
The lip gloss is sort of clear really but it's still a nice gloss and it will look nice over nudes and pinks.
The lip jam is my favourite out of the products I got it's a clear gloss with a reflective blue finish, this one will look great over hot pink lipstick.
Next is soft'n shine lip balm, not quite sure if I would class this one as an actual balm as it's not as moisturising I would say it's more of a lightweight liptint. The color is absolutely gorgeous.
Moving on to the MAC, I friend at work had Angel and it looked so pretty I had to have it, and the lady at the store recommended Creme Cup to me, I don't know why it's taken me this long to get either one of these, they are gorgeous.
Lastly the Barry M, love the price and the colors but not the texture of the #100, it's really dry and it doesn't go on smooth unless you use a balm underneath first and that makes the lipstick wear off faster, also it looks great when swatched on he back of my hand but on my lips it's too light and makes me look washed out.
I guess I can still make it work if I use a darker tinted gloss on the top but then it's not a nude lip color.



GOSH Velvet Touch Primer
GOSH Lip Gloss in #004
GOSH Cool Lip Jam in #100
GOSH Soft'n Shine Lip Balm in #30 Barbie
MAC Frost Lipstick in Angel
MAC Cremesheen in Creme Cup
Barry M in #101 Marshmellow
Barry M in #129 Palest Lavender
Barry M in #100 Baby Pink



I've had quite a bit of YSL stuff in the past but I've never tried the lipsticks or glosses so since there was a sale were I work I decided to get some things that I've wanted for a while.
The Rouge Volupte lipsticks are amazing and there at least another two that I want to get if not more, the downside is they are £20 and that's expensive for a lippie and as much as I love them I would never buy one at the RRP.
The Pure Glosses are fantastic too; super shiny, not sticky and they smell of watermelon, I find they don't last very long on the lips but they are so nice I don't mind reapplying them more often.
As for the Pure Lipsticks I haven't made my mind up yet on these as they are supposed to be a longer lasting formula than the Rouge Volupte but I don't find this to be the case. I'm reserving judgement until I've had a chance to use them more.

Pure Gloss in #1
Pure Gloss in #2
Rouge Volupte in #1 Nude Beige
Rouge Volupte in #7 Lingerie Pink
Rouge Volupte in #13 Peach Passion
Pure Lipstick in #148 Tea Rose
Pure Lipstick in #146 Romantic Pink

I also got NARS Blush in Super Orgasm but I might take it back has I fail to see a difference between this one and the regular version which I already have.