New Blog Banner

I was having a browse through some blogs and I came across Leigh-Annes blog Violence & Fashion. She had just done a post on her new banner and I loved the style of it.

I contacted Lauren (LM Graphic Design) through her Facebook page and asked if she could take a look at my blog and design a banner for me. She replied within two days and started on it soon after that. All I said was what colours I like and left the rest to her. When she sent the finished banner, I loved it! It was exactly what i wanted. Shes so talented! She didnt even charge me for it.

Thank you so much Lauren!

If you'd like something designed for you, check out Lauren's Facebook page here where you can contact her.

She also has a tumblr.

Hope you guys like it!

Mac Studio Finish Concealer/Collection Lasting Perfection

Concealers are one of those products that are either a must have in your makeup collection, or something you like but don't reach for everyday. I never used concealer in the past due to laziness but I've found more use for it over the last couple years. I tend to use concealer mostly under my eyes. I don't have bad under eye circles but i prefer my whole face to be flawless and even. If there's a blemish that sticks out like a sore thumb, i would definitely reach for my concealer! I also use it to tidy up the edges of my eyebrows.

I usually use Mac's Studio Finish concealer in NC20 until recently when I picked up Collection's Lasting Perfection concealer. I had to try it after all the great things I've heard.

Studio Finish concealer is 'A lightweight, creamy, discreetly opaque concealer'. It claims to be long wearing, it has an ingredient which absorbs the skins oils and contains SPF 35. It comes in the standard Mac pot and retails at £14.50. It is definitely creamy and blends nicely but i find it sinks into the fine lines under my eyes and creases. The coverage is medium/full and covers any redness i get around my nose, but when i use this under the eye area i find it dries my skin out. By the end of a normal day, it's pretty much gone so it doesn't last all day on my skin. I like using it to tidy up the edges of my brows with a fine brush but that's pretty much all i use it for. The great thing about Mac in general, is their wide range of colours so most people will be able to match themselves up. There's 7g's of product so it will last you ages. I've had mine for months and i've hardly made a dent in it!

Top- Lasting Perfection
Bottom- Studio Finish

The Collection Lasting Perfection concealer is the 'ultimate wear concealer which provides full coverage for up to 16 hours of flawless skin'. It's oil free, water resistant and is a full coverage concealer. Its priced at a whopping £4.19, a fraction of the price of the Studio Finish. Since I got the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, I've been using it religiously. I have the shade 03 medium, which is too dark, but it blends so easily I can get away with it for now. It's great for blemishes and imperfections. It's not classed as an under eye concealer but i still use it under my eyes... just not so much under my eye area at the moment because I like a lighter concealer to brighten. I love the consistency. It's a lot thicker than the Studio Finish concealer and I love that it lasts all day on me. It doesn't feel like it's going to slide of my face! It doesn't sink into my fine lines as much as Studio Finish, and i find it more hydrating so It doesn't dry my skin out. I definitely prefer the packaging. It's more hygienic and so much easier to use in a rush. It looks really smooth under the eyes whereas the Studio Finish looked too dry and opaque. The only downside to this concealer is the fact it only comes in 4 shades (Boo). I will definitely be purchasing a lighter shade to conceal under my eyes.

If I had to repurchase one it would definitely be Collection Lasting Perfection without a doubt. Aside from the significant price difference, it's definitely the concealer that suits me best.

What do you think of both concealers? Have you tried them?

(I have normal/combination skin)

Beauty Bits #1

As we have payday approaching us once again (fav time of the month), here are a few things that are currently on my wishlist.  

Emma Hardie Natural Lift Morenga cleansing balm £34

Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow 4.0 in 'The Soundtrack' £29

Caudalie Divine Oil £25

This Works Clean skin 5 in 1 water £21



Ive heard good things about the Emma Hardie Natural Lift Moringa cleansing balm. I love the idea of a cleansing balm rather than the usual water/milk. It contains plant extracts, vitamin C and lots of natural oils which are good for the skin. I cannot wait to get my hands on this!

I love the Bare Escentuals range but the eyeshadows are too messy for me. I definitely prefer eyeshadows to be pressed, no matter how good the pigmentation is. I was very excited to see they'd bought these out. Yay! I've already had a nose and decided which one I want to try first. I swatched a few and the pigmentation is amazing! I can't wait to try them.

Caudalie is a brand im really starting to love. I saw this in Harvey Nichols and was really tempted to buy it but as its £25 i thought i'd wait until payday. It's a multi use oil that can be used on hair, nails, and in the bath, (which by the way smells amazing).

This Works Clean skin 5 in 1 water is another product I've heard about over recent months. It's a cleanser containing rose water, olive and almond oils and wild water mint. I've heard about this through various bloggers so im excited to give this one a try.

Have you tried any of these before?

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

I've been dying to get my hands on one of these since I first heard they were coming out. They're comparable to the Clinique chubby sticks, which i havent tried but ive been really impressed with the Just bitten Kissable balm stains. They're described as a lightweight lipstain balm which moisturises, giving soft, smooth lips. They have a good range of colours, from nudes to pinks and reds, so I had a fair few to choose from.

I was in Boots (as always) and decided to pick one up. After swatching all the colours I went for 'Cherish', one of the lighter pinks in the range. Im trying to get out of that habit of going for nudes so I went for a pink.

I went to work the next day with it on and by the time i'd had lunch (4 hours later), it had remained on my lips but mostly on the outer edges (not so much that it looked like I had lined my lips with a pink lip liner though). I was quite impressed it was still on after eating and drinking.

The packaging, which I love, is really convenient. The balm is retractable so there's no need to sharpen. It applies so easily and I love that it's like a big crayon! The balm is also peppermint flavoured which I really like.

I find that they're moisturising but not that moisturising. They're not as drying as I thought they might be though and I didnt find them clinging to any drier patches either, which is always a good thing. With any type of lip stain I always apply a lip balm before hand so I definitely recommend doing that, especially if your lips are on the drier side.

Overall I really like this product. I'm definitely going to pick up 'Charm' which is a nude peach colour. I can't help myself. I just love my nudes!

They are £7.99 but are currently £5.99 in Boots and Superdrug.

Have you tried the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable balm stains yet?

The Liebster Blog Award

I've been recently been nominated for the Liebster blog award by the lovely Laura (loveontop) and Roisin (brutalfashionandbeauty). Yay! Thankyou so much. It means alot considering i'm still new to all this. I've still done Laura and Roisin's questions... all 22... so sorry if it's long winded!

The Liebster Blog Award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

The meaning of Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.

The Rules:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. Remember, no tag backs!

11 things about me:

1. I am a hairdresser

2. I have 3 brothers and a sister

3. I hate doctors and dentists

4. I'm a perfectionist

5. I want to go travelling next year

6. Im a sagittarius

7. I love cats (I have one at my Mums called Mitsy)

8. I've been with my boyfriend 3 years

9. I have 2 tattoos

10. I have my tongue pierced

11. I  love reality tv 

Laura's Questions:

1. What first got you into blogging?

I was inspired by other bloggers (Fleurdeforce, EssieButton)

2. Shoes or handbags?

Shoes 

3. What is your favourite high street store?

Topshop/H&M

4. How many times do you shop a month?

Quite a few but usually around the start of the month when i've just been payed. I go crazy!

5. What is your favourite tv show?

Most recent is Pretty Little Liars. Was addicted!

6. Sale rails or online sales?

Some sales stress me out, especially when it's like a jumble sale, so probably online sales.

7. What is the furthest place you have travelled to?

Dominican Republic.

8. What did/do you study?

I did a hairdressing course in college.

9. What is your favourite online fashion store?

Don't tend to shop online for clothing. I've got everything i need a 5 minute walk away :) Dangerous!

10. Do you have any bad habits?

I used to bite my nails..

11. What's at the top of your wishlist right now?

Mac's Vegas Volt lipstick.

Roisins Questions:

1. What's your wardrobe staple?

My plain black/white Tees.

2. What's you're favourite album of all times?

I really don't know! Sorry..

3. What's you're favourite beauty brand?

Mac. That's what i have the most of.

4. If you could go on holiday anywhere, where would you go (no round the world cheatings here)?

New York.

5. What superpower would you have?

Invisibility powers! haha

6. What's you're favourite makeup item (e.g blusher, eyeliner etc)?

Foundation.

7. Cats or dogs?

Cats.

8. Who is your favourite blogger?

Ah there's so many.. possibly Fleurdeforce.

9. What's your dream job?

To do behind the scenes hair & makeup for tv.

10. What's you're favourite snack?

Recently, Thai Chilli Rice crackers from Holland & Barrett. They're amazing!

11. What's you're favourite colour nail varnish?

Probably pinks. There's so many different shades to go for.

My 11 Questions:

1. Books or magazines?

2. Burger King or McDonalds?

3. What's a staple in your makeup collection?

4. Iphone or BlackBerry?

5. What's your favourite Disney movie?

6. Tea or coffee?

7. Summer or winter?

8. Who is your favourite blogger?

9. Do you have any tattoos?

10. What do you do as a job/ what do you study?

11. Wedges or flip flops?

My Nominations:

Carly

Natalie

Rubiiee

Ali

Georgia

(she's only just got 200 followers but i love her blog so had to nominate her)

(I know i've bent the rules and only nominated 5.. Sorry) 

Today's face #1

 Face

Primer - Benefit Porefessional

Foundation - Mac Studio Sculpt in NC25

Concealer - Mac Studio Finish in NC20

Powder - Mac Mineralize skin finish in 'Medium plus'

Bronzer - Nars 'Laguna'

Blush- Nars 'Orgasm'

Highlight - Mac Mineralize skin finish in 'Soft & Gentle'

Eyes

 

 

Primer - Urban Decay Primer Potion

Base - Mac paint pot in 'Painterly'

Shadow - Mac eyeshadow in 'Vanilla'

'Naked' & 'Creep' from the Urban Decay Naked palette

Eyebrows - Sleek brow it in 'Dark'

Mascara - L'Oreal Telescopic in 'Magnetic black'

  

Lips

Balm - Caudalie lip conditioner

Lipstick - Mac 'Creme d'Nude'

Do you own any of these products?

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector

I was in Boots the other day and saw that Clarins were on gift and I immediately thought of the Lip Perfector that I've heard about recently. I sat down and tried all three colours and I liked the pink and the apricot but I couldn't justify getting both, so I got '01 Rose Shimmer'. I love it. It's so easy to just throw on when you want something on your lips but not as much as a lipstick or as little as a balm. It gives a really nice natural colour and has no shimmer in it which I like. I'm not the biggest fan of glosses because of the stickiness of some but this isn't sticky in the slightest. Yay! It feels so smooth, moisturising and has a lovely sheen to it. It tastes/smells fruity which I like and I really like the sponge applicator. It's a squeezy tube and the product comes out through little holes in the sponge tip, so it's not messy. Im definitely going to get '02 Apricot Shimmer' next.

They're priced at £16 but if you're on a budget, i've heard No7 are doing one similar at £10.50.

What do you think of the Clarins Natural Lip Perfectors?

NOTD #1

Essie - Pansy

I love this colour! It's such a lovely pink. It was between this and a neon pink but as the weather hasn't been at its best lately, I thought I'd save the neon for a sunny day.

I've really been loving Essie recently! The colour range is amazing and they always last well. I've only got a few of their nail polishes but there are still so many I want to get... 'Figi'...'Bikini so teeny'..

These aren't my own nails obviously, they're acrylics. I've had them for years now & I can't imagine being without them. My nails are literally like paper underneath so i dont think i'll be having them off any time soon... if ever... Makes me cringe!  

What do you think of Essie polishes?