MUA (Make Up Academy) FOTD #4

Hi all, yet another FOTD in my MUA makeup shuffle. I'm not sure pink is my colour but here it is anyway...

 

Eyes:
- Lid - MUA palette shade
- Outer Corner and Crease - MUA Palette shade
- Inner Corner - MUA Palette shade 12
- Above Crease - MUA Palette shade 23
- Brow Bone - MAC Shroom
- Upper Liner - H&M Black Glitter
- Lower Liner - MUA Extreme Felt Tip liner
- Mascara - MUA Extreme Volume
- Lashes - Ebay Clear Band #051

Face:
- Foundation - VIVO Beauty Balm in Light
- Powder - MUA pressed powder in shade 2
- Bronzer - CCUK Bonzer in Honey Glow
- Blush - VIVO Baked Blush in Cinnamon Glow
- Finish - Milani Illuminating face powder in Beautys Touch
- Lips - MAC Lipglass in Tad Saucy

Thanks for looking.

Benefit Her Name Was Glowla Kit Review

Hellooo! Finally i'm doing another review from my holiday haul. I got this palette duty free on the way out on the plane.

As usual, pretty benefit packaging. Sturdy cardboard held closed with a magnet. It has a mirror inside as well.

Heres what you get - Coralista Blush (and mini brush), a 5 colour Eyeshadow Palette (with double ended brush which is actually really good), Bad Gal Lash mascara, Lip Gloss (Life on the A List i think), High Beam and Moon Beam. These are all minis, though i'd hardly call that huge lipgloss mini. I think this is one of the the best value sets that they do along with the Confessions of a Concealaholic kit.

Coralista - A sheer peachy/corally blush with shimmer. I find this is great for warming up my complection and giving a glow. If i'm wearing this alone as a blush i do find i have to layer it a bit as its very sheer. I like this but i prefer the Sugarbomb blush as a glow or a MUA/Sleek/VIVO blush for pigmentation. Texture wise this is very soft and smooth, no gritty glitter. It also has the 'Benefit smell'. I don't really use the brush it came with, i prefer a large round fluff brush for blusher.

Eyeshadow Palette - shades left to right are Passion Pearl, Peachy Sheen, Terracotta Satin, Steamy Copper and Deep Bronze. All the shades i need to create a neutral or soft brown smoky eye. These shades are soft and all have shimmer. I find them to be well pigmented and last all day (over primer, i always use a primer). The brush with this is really quite good and tends to be the brush i reach for if i need a small angle brush.

Bad Gal Lash - this has a huge brush! But thats good, i like mascaras with large bristle brushes. The mascara itself is good too. I may find myself buying a full size of this. Its probably one of the best mascaras i've tried so far. It manages to give volume without clumping my lashes... and my lashes clump even when i'm not wearing mascara so thats quite a feat.

Life on the A List Gloss - to be honest this is a bit boring... its a semi-sheer light pink gloss. I have nothing against the quality of the gloss or anything its just a bit dull. Considering this is a 'glow' kit i would have like to have seen a peach, coral or even bronze gloss. Having Benefits Foxy Lady gloss (this is the peachy pink gloss with turquoise (yup blue/green) sparkle. This gloss is stunning and i think in comparison i just can't be impressed by this one.

High Beam - this is a pale pink highlighter. This is too frosty for me to wear on my face and as a warm toned person this isn't the best shade for me anyway. I will probably use it as a brow bone highlight. This mini will probably last me ages if i use it that way. I did try using on the lid but it made my eyes sting, guess its not designed for the eye area. This is quite a thin liquid and it blends well and isn't patchy. I might give this a go as a center of the lip highlight.

Moon Beam - on the other hand this highlight i love. Its a soft gold shade with a reddy pink pearlescent sheen. I'd say this has a satin finish rather than frost or shimmer. This i will be buying a large size of. You almost have to see it to see how pretty it is. You can see some of its duo-chrome in the photo above. Both of the highlighters have a small brush in the lid that you can use to apply. I then blend it with my fingers.

(Left to Right - Coralista (swatched then blended), High Beam (swatched then blended), Moon Beam (swatched then blended), Life on the A List.)

Thanks for reading.

Project 10 Pan - a more productive version of a no-buy.

Hi all, you may have seen that i am on a no-buy at the moment. However as i am trying to use up my stash as well i thought it might be a better idea to do it as a Project 10 Pan instead.

My Rules (these are not the official rules, if there actually are any, just what i plan to do).

- I must not buy any make-up, skin care or haircare/dye until i have completed project 10 pan.

- I must completely use up 10 products or hit pan on 20. Hitting pan counts as 1/2 a product. I have decided to count this as it allows me to switch between products rather then having to use just one product to use it all up.

- Anything that has less than half in or i have already hit pan on only counts as 1/2 a product. Minis, samples, smaller sizes in palettes only count as 1/2. If it has less then 1/4 in it already it doesn't count.

- I may purchase limited editions but if i do the packaging must not be opened and the product put away until project 10 pan is complete. This way i can buy something i might regret not getting when it was avaliable but i'm not allowing myself to have any new products during the project. For each LE i buy i will add 1/2 a product to my list to use up, hopefully this will stop me buying too many.

- If i break the no-buy part for any non-limited edition products i must add double the number of products to project 10 pan. e.g. if i buy 3 products on a 3for2 i must use up an additional 6 products to complete project 10 (although probably somewhat more by then) pan.

- If i run out of a HG product i may replace it straight away. If i buy a replacement i may not count the empty.

Think thats it....

Thanks for reading

MUA (Make Up Academy) FOTD #3

Hi all, last post for today... todays make-up looking with my MUA shuffle.

Eyes:
- Primer - MUA Pro Eye Primer
- Lid - MUA palette shade 5
- Inner Corner - MUA palette shade 3
- Crease - MUA palette shade 14
- Above Crease - MUA palette shade 23
- Brow Bone - MAC Shroom
- Upper Liner - H&M liquid liner in black glitter
- Lower Liner - NYX in dark brown and MUA palette shade 14 added to outer 1/3
- Mascara - MUA Extreme Curl
- Mascara (lower lashes) - 17 Ultimate Length
- False Lashes - Ebay model (seller number) #007 or (manufacturer number) #122

Face:
- Primer - L'Oreal Smoothing Resurfacing Primer
- Foundation - No7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser
- Powder - MUA pressed powder shade 2
- Bronzer - 17 Instant Glow Bronzer
- Blush - MUA Blusher shade 5
- Finish - Milani Ilumminating Powder in Beautys Touch
- Lips - MUA Lipgloss in shade 5

Thanks for looking. What shall I do tomorrow... pink? I don't do pink very often...hmmm....

Empties! Well Almost... L'Oreal Primer and Benefit Lemonaid

Hi, as you can see i'm having a bit of a post catch up having not posted at all last week. Heres two products I have almost finished and would like to review for you.
The first is Benefit Lemonaid...

I've had this for a while as you can see by the fact this is the old packaging. I really enjoyed this primer and it works very well for giving long lasting, strong coloured eyeshadow. I will definately be considering repurchasing this though the cost is putting me off. I believe this cost me £16.50. The texture is stickier then most primers i've used and I find it is a more effective base for loose shadows then my other primers (MAC Paint Pot or MUA Pro Eye Primer). I also like the pastel yellow colour as it brightens my eye area and corrects dark circles. The one thing i have found though is that the clasp that keeps it closed broke several months ago so it keeps flopping open..grr. This has probably lasted 2 years with pretty regular use.

The other is L'Oreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer (mouthful... no?)...

This is the second one of these that i have been through. A staple favourite. I tend to have two primers; a heavy one like this one which i wear with a tinted moisturiser or sheer mineral powder and a lighter one, my No7 Airbrush Primer, to wear with Beauty Balm or Foundation. This primer is very thick and does have a silicon-y feel to it. It works really well to smooth out my skin and once i apply a tint on top my pores are all blended away. I find this also has a mattifying effect which is good for oily t-zone people like me. The odd downside i find with this, though i seem to find the same to some extent with all primers, is that if i apply it too close to my lower lashline it makes my eyeliner 'slip' and smudge. I will be buying new one of this once its gone. A tub of this usually lasts me about 6 months, would probably not last as long if you were only using this not switching up with another one.

Thanks for reading

Diamond Jubilee FOTD #2 Tuesday 5th June

Hi again, I apologise for how badly the photos came out of this one... not sure why they came out so bad, todays (the 6ths) came out fine.
This was a quicky for work so no lashes or anything fancy and probably not as well blended as it could have been. Photos were taken after 8hrs at work.

 Eyes:
- Primer - MUA Pro Primer
- Lid - MUA palette shade 15
- Crease and outer 1/4 - MUA palette shade 2
- Between Crease and Brow Bone - MUA palette shade 23
- Inner Corner - MUA Palette shade 12
- Brow Bone - MAC Shroom
- Upper Liner - Bourjois Liner Pinceau in Brun
- Lower Liner -  NYX in dark brown
- Mascara - Bourjois 1001 Lashes in Bleu Exponential

Face:
- Primer - No7 Airbrush Primer
- Foundation - 17 Beauty Balm in medium
- Powder -  MUA pressed powder in shade 2
- Bronzer - 17 Instant Glow bronzing powder
- Blush - MUA Blusher in shade 4
- Finishing Powder - Milani Illuminating face powder in Beautys Touch
- Lips - Vivo Lipstick in Barely There
- Gloss - MAC Lipglass in Viva Glam V

Thanks for looking and i hope everyone who was off enjoyed the long weeked.

Diamond Jubilee FOTD #1 Monday 4th June

Hi all, heres my first FOTD for my MUA week. Sorry theres none from last weeks but i was on a training course so no time to take piccies and my make up wasn't very exciting anyway.

Eyes:
- Lid - MUA palette shade 18
- Crease - MUA palette shade 13
- Above Crease - MUA palette shade 23
- Brow Bone - MAC Shroom
- Upper lashline - H&M liquid liner in Glitter Black
- Lower Lashline - Sephora Flashy Liner in deep black
- Upper lashes - MUA Extreme Volume Mascara 
- False Lashes - Red Cherry #46
- Lower Lashes - 17 Ultimate Lengths in Black (this is my standard lower lash mascara)

Face:
- Primer - L'Oreal Smoothing Resurfacing Primer
- Foundation - No7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser in medium fair
- Powder - MUA Pressed Powder in shade 2
- Bronzer - 17 Instant Glow Bronzing Powder
- Blush - MUA Blusher in shade 2
- Lips - Collection 2000 Cream Puff in fairy cakes (yeah i know i should have used one of my MUA ones...)

Thanks for looking!

Weekly Make-up shuffle #2

Hi, its MUA this week. Well mostly...

In addition to the 'everyweek' products I posted in #1 theres a few more I need to post to get them out of the way for future posts.

So theres (left to right, top row then bottom three)...

***Eyebrow palette - this is one of the items from my holiday haul, I still haven't used this but as its my only brow products it will have to be an everyweek product.
*** 17 Face and Body Bronzer - this is a great bronzer, a touch darker then my skin tone with a glowy satin finish. This is neither heavy on shimmer or orangey.
*** No7 Skin Illuminator in Pink - a subtle highlighter for all over the face of just for highlighting. Subtle enough for full face use if i'm going out. Looks great under a tinted moisturiser or sheer foundation.
*** ELF Complexion Perfection - pastel translucent colour correcting powder. This does woek but I find in the summer can make me look a bit pasty. Guess I can solve that with a bit of bronzer.
*** Lip Smackers lip balm - I always pop a touch of lip balm on while doing my make up so my lips are nice and smooth when i come to applying lipstick.
*** Bourjois Pinceau Liner in brown - HG liner - my 3rd I think, one of the few brands that has a brush not that awful felt tip thing.
*** H&M Black Glitter liner - HG (but discon :'( ) not sure what i'll replace this with, probably the black version of the Bourjois Pinceau liner. Again this is a liner with a brush.

Ok, now thats out the way from now on it will just be the weekly choices. This week is MUA...

 (As close to left to right as i can - i didn't lay them out very well)

MUA Immaculate palette - lots of shades in one palette, matte and shimmer, got this free with my last MUA order.

MUA Pressed powder shade 2 - very basic pressed powder, mattifying and seems to last very well. I like how finely milled this is, it doesn't make my skin look powdery.

MUA Blush shade 1 (top), 2 (middle), 4 (bottom) - I love all the MUA blushes, not sure why i particularly chose these shades this week but all 6 seemed a bit overkill.

MUA Extreme Volume mascara - This is pretty good for seperation and colour but i don't find it gives much volume. Good subtle look for work.

MUA Exteme curl mascara - Not really used this much as i struggle with curved brushes, hopefully my putting this in a weekly shuffle i will make myself use it.

MUA Lipstick shade 11 and shade 10 - shade 11 is a non shimmery MLBB shade, i keep a back up of this as its such a great shade. Shade 10 is a really flattering wearable red. Very slight shimmer and semi-sheer.

MUA Lip Boom in Doin Good - lipstick and gloss in one. The lipstick is similar to shade 11 but a bit darker and its more matte. The gloss is a pale pink with quite chunky glitter. These look amazing layered. I plan to order some more shades.

MUA lipgloss in shade 2,5 and 3 - these are all pretty sheer, 2 and 3 are shimmery, 5 is a creme. I love these as a hint of colour for work. Wish they did away with the sickly vanilla scent... eurgh!!!!

MUA Extreme felt tip eyeliner (black) - not sure if i like this or not, i use it a bit like a pencil liner on the lower lashes. Find it a bit tricky to apply on the upper lash line. Much prefer my liquid eyeliners listed above for that.

MUA pro Eye Primer - Only used this once so can't really say how well this works yet.

NYX Eyeliner in Sea Foam - I bought 12 of these a while back and this was the only shade i was disappointed with. It has very little colour payoff.  I'll see if i can find a way to make it work for me.

Milani Liquif-eye Eyeliner - love this, definate HG pencil liner, very soft, great payoff, doesn't irritate my eyes, once set if won't budge but comes off easily with make-up remover... whats not to like.

Thanks for reading, sorry it was so long. From now on the Weekly Shuffles should be shorter as i'll only be posting the weekly choices not all the other bits like my foundation.

 

My.Face.Cosmetics Blush and Lipgloss Review

Hi all, got another review for you today. I think the brand I am reviewing, My.Face.Cosmetics, may be being discontinued as I bought these products a couple of months ago in Boots with more than 75% off and the display was really empty.
Anyway, heres what I got:

Light Blusher in Paradisio Pink and Medium Blusher in Costa Del Sol. One Hit Wonder lip gloss in Gilt-y.

The Blushers come in very large heavy packaging which does make it feel sturdy but feels rather unessecary as the reason for the huge packaging is a useless brush.

Heres them open so you can see:

Paradisio Pink is a bright matte pink. Mostly neutral in tone, prehaps slightly warm. The pigmentation is excellent and a light hand is needed in application. This shade is a favourite of mine and is a slightly darker more pigmented and matte version of MUA shade 1 (another favourite). If i'm having a pink blush day this tends to be the one I reach for. I get about 6-8 hrs wear with both of the shades though I do find they fade a bit during the day. I paid just over £2 for this but i think they are close to £10 at full price. Hopefully they might turn up on one of the discontinued cosmetic sites so i can purshase some more shades before they disappear.

Costa Del Sol is a warm pinkish red with gold shimmer. This is a gorgeous shade but i have to be really careful with application as it is very pigmented and its very easy to over apply. I don't tend to reach for this as much as on a day to day basis i don't have time to faff about with application. This is a blush for a very soft large fluffy brush.

The brushes that come with the blushes are completely useless (to me anyway) i've never been able to apply blush with a flat brush. These are also not very soft and very synthetic feeling.

Heres them swatched - in the same order as above. The first swatch is swiped and the second is blended slightly to get a more blush like effect. I barely had to run my finger accross the blush to get this much colour.

The lip gloss I got is a clear gloss with different sizes of golden glitter in it. This is not gritty glitter though, it feels completely smooth on my lips. The formula is slightly sticky but not in an annoying way. This lasts quite well for a gloss and works great over lipstick. I love to wear it over reds and plums. I've swatched it below for you to see. I would recommend having a gold glitter gloss in your collection, I find myself reaching for this a lot.

Thanks for reading, enjoy the extra long bank holiday weekend.

Look out for this weeks Make Up Shuffle, it will be an MUA week.