Nails Of The Week - Anise Twilight Lover

I received a parcel from my friend in America last week, it was a lovely surprise! One of the things she sent me was an Anise nail colour in Twilight Lover (I laughed when I saw the name!) I have never heard of this brand before but I am really impressed.
It's a gorgeous jewel toned blue with shimmer, these photos really don't do it justice, I imagine it will look beautiful in the sunlight but unfortunately where I am we don't have any of that right now!
This was two coats, although to be honest one probably would have been enough, with Seche Vite topcoat.

Have you heard of this brand before?



17 Mirror Shine Lipstick Review

On the recent 3 for 2 on 17 I picked up a couple of the Mirror Shine lipsticks and the new primer. I am testing the primer and will review it soon but today I am focusing on the lipsticks.
I picked up two shades: Belle & Beehive. I had no idea that these had such a blog following until after I had purchased them and I googled them! They are very sheer and glossy lipsticks, similar to a tinted lip balm. Because of this they are not at all drying and leave the lips feeling moisturised. They don't last particularly long on the lips but because of the moisturising properties I don't mind re-applying.
The two colours I picked up are fairly neutral, Belle is a my lips but better shade that is perfect for everyday wear. Beehive is a very subtle nude that I have been pairing with more dramatic eyes. I have really struggled finding nude lipsticks that suit me (beige toned lipsticks tend to make me look like a corpse!) and these is perfect.



Have you got any of these? Are there any others you would recommend?





Beauty Blog Link Love - Sunday 27th February

Want your own customizable magnetic palette without spending big bucks? Beauty's Bad Habit shows you how to make your own!



AOYV find her love and joy in NARS Lovejoy.


Take a look at INGLOT's new Chelsea NYC Studio: Kim Porter shares pictures from INGLOT's Grand Opening event.


Inspired by Parisian culture with Asian nuances, The Beauty Nerd features gorgeous beauty products from Tokyo Milk.


Revlon's Super Lustrous line has officially converted Angela at Do Want Makeup into a lipstick lover! Check out her review of Wine With Everything.



Come over to Jeweled Thumb to see some new lipsticks from Essence at a price point everyone will love!


Hot Beauty Health shares the best travel makeup to stay gorgeous on vacation.


Love Rihanna? Musicalhouses attempts to dupe her "Who's That Girl" eye look!



Hot thermal springs, healing white silica muds, soothing spas...sounds a bit like heaven, right? While most of us can't get to Iceland, check out Socialite Dreams review of the Iceland Blue Lagoon Spa Mud Mask that you can use at home.


Take a peek at the toners and moisturisers in Rachel's current skincare routine.


Retrodiva shows how easy it is to use the Kiss Premium Eyelashes. Gorgeous lashes in just a flash!


Blush Fiend Tracy at Beauty Reflections reviews Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush and other blushingly beautiful blushes during Blush Week!!


Sarah from IHeartCosmetics reviews the new Naked Skin line of 97% natural facial skincare.


Missed out on New York Fashion Week? Make sure you check out Krasey Beauty's recap on fall beauty trends.



Ever wondered how to pick the right blush to go with red lips? The Lip Print gives you a few pointers.



At Music and Make Up Jo has lip swatches of her favourite red lipsticks.



Jellyminx shares her first nail stamping experience!


Cindy over at Prime Beauty happily referees the Lip Crayon Smackdown! See who comes out on top between NARS, Tarte and Clinique!



Do Revlon creme glosses live up to the hype? Check out Spiced Beauty to see how she scored them for 2.50 each!



What's the hottest new lipstick in the drugstore? Find out over at theNotice (and don't miss Rae's swatches of the entire line!)


Do men moisturise? Isn't it too macho for them? hellcandy's bf guest posts and reveals all...Click here to read his post.



Katie sounds the dupe alert siren when comparing Kat Von D's Beethoven palette ($34) to the NYX Jazz Night palette ($8) on My Lips But Better.


What did you buy from Mac’s Wonder Woman collection? Check out Anita’s Wonder Woman haul over at Pleasureflush.



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Feel like there isn't enough nail polish in your life? Beauty Crazed has a nail bonanza contest going on that you should enter! What are you waiting for?!


Phyrra's Indie Spotlight for February is Sobe Botanicals! Learn all about Lex, and don't miss out on entering the giveaway, too!

My Nars Eyeshadow Collection So Far...

After seeing Helen's post over at Nice Things where she shows all the Nars duo's she has I wanted to show you the ones I own. Helen's post is a great reference and she actually shows the shadows on her eyes so I definitely recommend having a look. Anyway here are the ones I have picked out so far, they are pretty expensive so I don't have all the ones I would like to own but its a decent collection!

 

 

Habanera was the first duo I purchased, it's a gorgeous frosty mint green and a sparkly brown/purple. The green is incredibly pigmented, the brown takes a bit more work but I think that's because of the shimmer. It's definitely worth the effort though. I think this is still my favourite duo.

 

Cleo is a gorgeous pair of greens. A pale shimmery mint green and a dark sparkly green. This is the same as the Habanera duo in that the sparkly colour takes more building up but it is beautiful.

 

Rajasthan is one that I loved the sound of but I haven't actually used often, its a golden brown and a blackened green/blue. They are gorgeous colours but I find the gold hard to pull off with my skin tone.

 

Tzarine is probably my most used duo, its just so easy to wear, it's a frosted cream and a grey with gold sparkles. I tend to wear it with the cream all over the lid and the grey blended in the outer corner and crease.

 

Eurydice is one I am still a bit unsure of, it's a purple with blue shimmer and a gray with multicoloured shimmer. I absolutely love the grey shade but I find the purple so hard to wear. It has a lot of red in it and I find that when its applied you lose a lot of the blue shimmer. I am determined to find a way to make this work though!

 

A gorgeous shimmery brown and a shimmery dark brown/purple shade. These colours are really dark and I find that they can look a bit muddy on the eye. Also when blended together sometimes it's hard to make a distinction in the colours as they tend to just blend into one colour. It is a nice duo but I do tend to use the colours separately.

So that's it, my collection so far, there are at least 3 other duo's that I want and I am sure I will pick them up at some point in the future. Although they are expensive I think these duo's are decent value as you get a large amount of product and they are all heavily pigmented so will last a long time.

Are there any duos you would recommend for me?

2 Eye Looks Using 17 Vintage Love Palettes

Okay I have a confession, I think these two palettes are my favourite purchases so far this year! They really are beautiful and such good value for money. High end doesn't always mean better quality and I think these prove that perfectly.
I did two quick eye looks using 3 colours each from the palettes just to show you how they look on the eye, for both of these looks I also used Urban Decay Primer Potion, Mac Blitz & Glitz Fluidline and Covergirl lashblast mascara.
First up is the Metallic Nudes

Shade 1 on inner third of lid and tear duct. Shade 2 on the rest of the lid and under lower lashes. Shade 3 in the crease and outer corners.
Then Perfect Pastels

Shade 1 on inner third of lid and tear duct. Shade 2 on the rest of the lid and under lower lashes. Shade 3 in the crease and outer corners.

I really do rate these palettes, they are so similar in quality to Urban Decay's eyeshadows at a fraction of the price. Have you picked these up yet?

No17 Haul- Vintage Love Palettes

I picked up the two new 17 palettes from Boots today. I have to admit that I find 17 products a bit hit and miss but these palettes are absolutely gorgeous! They are limited edition so if you like them I don't suggest waiting too long to pick them up. They are £5.49 each and there are 6 colours in each palette. You get 4.4 grams of product per palette.
They are available in Metallic Nudes and Perfect Pastels.

Metallic Nudes

 

 

Perfect Pastels

These shadows are so pigmented, the swatches are literally one swipe with my finger! They remind me of Urban Decay shadows in both colour payoff and texture. Definitely worth checking out!

Accessorize Haul and Nails Of The Week

I went back to Superdrug to pick up some Accessorize nail polishes for my Mum and couldn't resist getting a few bits for myself! I am loving the nail polishes, I picked up three more shades and 2 eyeshadows.

From left to right: Idol, Paparazzi & Stardom Nail Polishes (£4)

Icon Eye Shadow in Truffle (£4) and Merged Eye Shadow in Cocoa (£4.50)

Left Truffle, Right Cocoa

The shadows are pretty similar in colour but the finish is very different, truffle feels almost like a cream shadow to swatch and it is incredibly pigmented. As Cocoa is a merged shadow you get a slightly different colour each time. I actually think these two will work really well together.

Stardom

I put Stardom on straight away when I got home, it is such an unusual colour, its a silver but has a bit of brown in it so it is much easier to wear. Because its a highly metallic colour I did get some brush strokes but not enough to bother me. It was almost perfect in one coat but I did two to be on the safe side, if you take are a bit more precise than me you could definitely get away with only one.

Do you have any other Accessorize recommendations for me, are there any must haves?

Face Of The Day Using Mac Dalliance & Smoke And Diamonds

I am still absolutely loving the Mac Mega Metal Shadows, they are gorgeous and blend like a dream. Dalliance is such an unusual colour that I am sure there are so many colours it will work well with. I decided to pair it with Smoke and Diamonds and I really liked the way it turned out.

 

 

 

Products Used

Face:

Bobbi Brown Corrector Light Bisque

Bare Minerals Original Foundation

Mac Wonder Woman Pink Power as Bronzer, Blush and Highlight

Eyes:

UDPP

Mac Dalliance on lid and under lower lashes

Mac Smoke and Diamonds on outer corners and crease

Mac Blanc Type as highlight

Mac Blitz and Glitz fluidline on upper lashline

Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Mascara

Lips:

Mac Marquise 'd Lipstick (loving this!)

MAC Wonder Woman Haul

The Wonder Woman collection was released in Selfridges yesterday and I couldn't resist picking up a few bits. I wasn't expecting the collection to launch until next month so was quite excited to be getting it early! It isn't on the MAC Website yet but you can buy it online from Selfridges.
I didn't bother getting any of the eyeshadow palettes as they all seem to be pretty poor quality, really bad pigmentation.
The products that did come home with me were Russian Red and Marquise d' lipstick and Pink Power MSF.

 

The MSF was £26 which is expensive but you get double the amount of product than a normal MSF and it is like 3 items in one as there is blush, highlight and bronzer. I love it already, the bronzer is very light, I had to build up the swatch for the photo but this is perfect for my skin tone as I often struggle to find one light enough for my pale skin.

I only intended to get Russian Red lipstick (I know its permanent but I wanted the packaging) but once I swatched Marquise d' I knew I had to get it. I really struggle with Nude lipsticks, they usually make me look like a corpse but this one is perfect, it's not too brown or pink and I can't wait to pair it with a smokey eye.

I know the packaging is a bit love or hate but I really like it. I will admit that it is a bit cheap feeling though, especially the lipstick lids which are so thin they are see through when you hold them to the light!

Have you or are you planning to pick up anything from this collection?

Face Of The Day Using Mac Prance

I am absolutely loving the Mega Metal eyeshadows, they are so easy to work with and blend like a dream. I am very tempted to go back for more but I will restrain myself!

Face:

Bobbi Brown Corrector Light Bisque

Bare Minerals Original Foundation Fairly Light

Mac Taupe Contour

Bare Minerals Laughter Blush

Eyes:

UDPP

Mac Prance on lid and under lower lashes

Mac Shale in outer corners and blended in crease

Mac Smut in outer V

Mac Blitz & Glitz Fluidline on upper lashline

Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Mascara

Lips:

Mac Flaunting It Kissable Lipcolour

My Favourite Red Lipsticks

As it's valentine's day today I thought I would do a quick post on my favourite red lipsticks. I love a classic red lip and my collection is slowly growing! I didn't use a lip liner in any of the photos so please excuse the application!

This is one of the more subtle red's that I own, I would feel completely comfortable wearing this in the daytime. This is perfect if you don't feel confident enough to wear a full on red.

This is probably my most worn lipstick, on nights out if I can't decide on a lipstick then I always reach for this one. It's a Lustre formula so it doesn't last particularly well but it is a gorgeous colour, it has a lovely shimmer in it which you can't really see in the picture, it definitely needs to be seen in person.

This came out with the Hello Kitty collection but I think it has been re-promoted since. This is slightly darker than Hollywood Red but it's still very wearable and a lovely colour.

 

This is the classic Mac Red, it's a matte colour so can be quite drying so applying a lip balm beforehand is essential. It lasts a long time on the lips and is a beautiful colour.

This is one of the more orange toned reds that I own. It's a lustre so again it doesn't last as long on the lips but it's worth it.

This is my all time favourite red and the one that I get comments on every time I wear it. It lasts so long on the lips that rather than having to reapply you generally need to remove it at the end of the night. If I could only have one red then this would be it. Absolutely gorgeous!

Are there any reds that you love?

Face Of The Day Using Mac Dalliance and Centre Stage

It was my boyfriends Dad's birthday on Thursday and I thought that was a perfect chance to try out the new additions I picked up from Mac's Peacocky collection. I really do love these eyeshadows and they work really well together.

 

Products Used:
Face:
Bobbi Brown Corrector Light Bisque
Illamasqua Concealer
Make Up Forever HD Foundation
Mac Studio Fix Powder
Mac Fleur Power Blush
Mac Taupe Contour
Mac Moon River as Highlight
Eyes:
UDPP
Mac Dalliance all over lid and under lower lashes
Mac Centre Stage on outer corners and crease
Mac Blanc Type as highlight
Mac Blitz & Glitz Fluidline on upper lashline
Stilla Topaz liner on waterline
Covergirl Lashblast Mascara
Lips:
Mac So Vain Kissable Lipcolour

Beauty Blog Link Love - Saturday 12th February

Do you want a lip product that's both long-lasting and hydrating? Get the best of both worlds with MAC Kissable Lipcolour, as reviewed by My Lips But Better.



Madame B Fatale trials some Cellnique products,with some lovely results!


Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Powder and Blush is making Tracy at Beauty Reflections smile!


Fabulous eyeshadows for a bargain price? Claire reckons she's found some from Collection 2000.



Socialite Dreams is celebrating Black History Month with the 28 Days of Black Beauty: a series showing a black female celebrity each day and recreating her famous look with makeup!


Valentine's Day is almost here! Check out Musicalhouses' funky Valentine's Day eye and funky Valentine's Day nails!


Makeup Morsels finds a spot-on dupe for her favorite Asian gel eyeshadow.



Over at Queen of Turquoise Rachel shows off some of ELF's lovely lippies!


Retrodiva was asked how to do a cat eye, so she explains how in a new tutorial video.


Gouldylox desperately wants longer hair but doesn't want the damage and hates how clip-in locks feel. These look like a gimmick, but actually deliver.


Phyrra raves about a new indie company, Brazen Cosmetics. She shares a 20% off coupon code, too!



Jellyminx embraces her inner rock chick and share a super easy smokey eye look.



A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away the Pink Sith tells of her experience with Guerlain Meteorites Illuminating and Mattifying Pressed Powder in 01 Teint Rose.


Are you ready for your Valentine? .. Why not check out Sleek MakeUP's Stiletto Collection, It's Limited Edition, and especially for Valentines!



Jo at Music and Makeup talks about her experience at the Academy Of Freelance Makeup.



The Lip Print combines two of her favourite things: celebrity makeup and red lipstick.



Beautywoome shares the things she dropped from her beauty routine in 2010 and why they've been given the boot!



Anita gets excited about the details and promo pictures of MAC’s gorgeous, girly, "Quite Cute" collection over at Pleasureflush!


Amy Antoinette showcases her perfume collection


Fabulous eyeshadows for a bargain price? Claire reckons she's found some from Collection 2000.



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To celebrate her 2 year blog anniversary, Audrey Dao is giving away Urban Decay’s Naked Palette, 15 year 24/7 Eye Pencils and much more!



Want a chance to check out some of theNotice's favourite products? You're in luck - Rae's giving away five of her favourite products!


Krasey Beauty is celebrating her two year anniversary with a huge giveaway ! Naturally, it's packed with her favorites from Make Up For Ever, Zoya, Hourglass, and more!



Will Mr. Postman bring YOU a package from the Cargo Spring 2011 Voyages collection? Enter the giveaway at Prime Beauty but hurry, the giveaway ends Monday, Feb. 14th!


Beautifully Addicted To are saying thank you to their beautifull followerswith a host of goodies include OPI, Bliss, and MAC as a giveaway!

Nails Of The Week - Accessorize Electric Blue

This is the last of the Accessorize polishes I picked up and it was the hardest to photograph. Its a blue/purple duochrome. In low level lighting it looks predominantly purple but under brighter light it looks blue with a shift to purple when you move your hands. It really is a gorgeous colour and definately needs to be seen in person.

Face of the day, another smokey look

I have been having a bit of an obsession with greens lately and so I finally got round to using the two Shu Uemura eyeshadows I picked up a couple of months ago. I was really pleased with the finished look. I also used two new Mac products, I got Studio Fix powder last week and so far I am really liking it. As much as I like the Make Up Forever HD powder in the flesh I hate the way it photographs. The other product was the Kissable Lipcolour in Flaunting It, this is such a gorgeous colour and I found that it lasted really well, the shine faded pretty quickly but the colour stayed for a good while. I am thinking about getting a back up!
Anyway onto the photos

 

Products Used

Face:

Bobbi Brown Corrector Light Bisque

Illamasqua Concealer

Make Up Forever HD Foundation

Mac Studio Fix Powder

Make Up Forever HD Blush 4

Mac Moon River Highlight

Mac Taupe Contour

Eyes:

UDPP

Shu Uemura ME Olive 471 on lid, crease and under lower lashes

Shu Uemura P Green 595 in outer corners and crease

Mac Blanc Type as highlight

Mac Blitz and Glitz on upper lashline and waterline

Covergirl Lashblast

Lips:

Mac Kissable Lipcolour Flaunting it