Gaga Blush

So I was clearing out my blog drafts - as soon as I have an idea for a post I make a draft. And post never make it past then, I have even more that are half done, some photos taken, some writing thrown in, but it's just too 'out of date' to finish and post now

Well I was clearing it (54 drafts down to 12!) and found these photos I took in NZ. And I honestly don't know why I didn't post this as wearing Mac Gaga Lipstick as a blush really is one of my favourite ways to wear it and I love the finish it give.s

The photos aren't great, but I think they show what the lipstick really looks like on the skin so I figured I'd post them anyway!

I rarely wear it on the lips, but I do often grab it for a lovely dewy pop of pink on the cheeks. 

The rest of my make up is nice and simple. Nars Sheer Glow, a mix of lots of random golden shades (the sort of eyeshadow look I do all the time), lashings of Benefit they're real mascara and slightly filled in brows. I'm also showing off my lovely new OPI Polish - Taupe-less Beach!

Still loving this colour.. despite having several colours shamefully similar!

The Blush Tag

How many blushes do you own?

Now I've done my clear out, 9. But I'm not even going to hazard a guess at how many I had last week!

Favourite blush brush?

This is difficult since I switch out by brush all the time depending the blush and what look I'm going for… My most used it probably the Real Techniques Blush Brush for its versatility 

Peach vs Pink and favourites of each
The distinction between the two is hazy at best… is it cheating if I say 'peachy-pinks' over peaches or pinks? If I absolutely had to pick one it'd be peach since that's what I reach for more regularly 

Favourite Pink - Mac Two Virtues

Favourite Peach -  Sleek Rose Gold. It's not 'technically' a peach, but when it's on it definitely leans towards a peachy-coral

Drugstore vs High End and Favourites of each

Although price doesn't necessarily entail quality and there are really some amazing drugstore blushes out there, when i think of what I want to buy in the future it's a lost exclusively high end blushes - there's just something lovely about applying a blush in luxurious packaging in the morning… I'm aware buying a blush for the packaging is ridiculous but the heart wants what the heart wants!
High End - Nars. weirdly I don't actually have any right now since those I love I've used up
Drugstore - Sleek. Packaging and product are great value for money

Cream vs Powder

Something about cream blushes just suck me in, the idea of a lovely soft texture creating the perfect finish on the skin is addictive. But in reality they're just a bit of a faff to apply. So despite loving my cream blushes I'm definitely a powder blush girl at heart!

Most Overrated?

Nars Orgasm. 

Don't kill me, I know it's a cult classic… But I just don't get it. I ordered it, I waited with baited breath until it arrived, and then… it was just a bog standard blush. I mean it was pretty, it looked nice on, but it didn't do anything crazy. I gave it to my friend in the end as I just never reached for it.

Most Underrated?

The Balm blushes. 

I've only got the bahama mama and hot mama right now but I'm in love with the sleek, but cute packaging (pay attention benefit) and their buttery texture. I've certainly got my eye on a few others. 

Worth the Hype?

Mac Ladyblush

It really is quite unremarkable in the pan. But when it's on, its just so flattering. 

It's not been talked about quite so much recently, but when first bought it was definitely the product

Top 5 Blushes everyone should own

Blushes are so personal to your skin tone that this is really hard, but I have a few thoughts on it

1. A good 'basic'- one you throw on know it'll work with any look. For me, that's Mac Ladyblush 

2. I know shimmery blushes are a controversial one but when you're in a rush and your skin is looking drab a quick sweep of Sleek Rose Gold or Mac Stereo Rose just works wonders. 

3. A cool toned pink. I could talk for hours on why this is a necessity. Mac Two Virtues

4. Something to warm up your skin without resorting to bronzer. Topshop Head over Heels

5. The Blush/Bronzer mix. Lancome Oche Doree, is a light, warm bronzer when I'm pale and the perfect way to stop bronzers looking too muddy when tanned. 

This tag has been quite weird to do now my blush collection is so much smaller but it was really fun - I can't quite believe how much I just wrote about blushes though!

Lady Blush

With winter firmly making itself known here my staple summer bronzed look is steadily being replaced in favour of a light sweep of blush (although I have to say New Zealand Winters in the North Island are so much milder than back home so I can't complain too much)

Mac Ladyblush has been in my collection for years, and my love of it is pretty cyclical. I don't think I've used it in maybe a year, but this last week or so it's been making an appearance every, single, day!  It really is just the perfect, natural looking blush, it's not too pink, or too red, or orang, nope, the undertones are super flattering.

I'm not really a huge fan of cream blushes, I always want to love them (I have a weak spot of all cream products I think) but I just find them a pain to apply and blend over a foundation - tell me I'm not the only one that all too often has ended up with patchy foundation because of blending cream blushes! But I've just been dabbing it on with the Real Techniques Stippling blush and blending it out with the buffing brush to get a beautiful, and easy, finish

I kept everything else really simple today, Laura Mercier primer, Lasting Perfection foundation and concealer (a lovely little combo for full coverage), and then my everyday maybelline liner and benefit they're real mascara - I decided to skip eyeshadow since I was in a rush 

Now we get to the real reason for this post, Ladyblush on the lips is amazing. Firstly the colour - stunning, i've actually been wearing it on my lips more than my cheeks recently as its just a gorgeous natural-ish pink-y sort of shade. Not only is the colour amazingly flattering but the finish and texture actually works so well! It's velvety finish that feels amazing on, and I suppose because it's actually a cream blush it doesn't bleed or settle into any lines. 

I've heard a lot about people applying their lipsticks onto their cheeks to get a dewy flush of colour, but putting a cream blush onto the lips is new to me at least. And I can't get over how using one product on the lips and cheeks suddenly makes everything looks so 'put together'!

Today was just a minimal effort day, but Ladyblush really turned it into something pretty! I'm already looking at mac's over cream blushes, as the price is so much easier to justify if you know you can use it as a blush and a lipstick! 

My Make Up Bag

Jack Wills Make Up Bag

Recently I've had a couple of emails asking me about what I carry in my 'every day make up bag' so, here's what you can normally find in my bag. I should quickly mention the make up bag itself  - it's not too big or too small, with a little compartment inside and a small zipped pocket on the front. It was a little pricey as it's Jack Wills and a limited edition print but I got it in the sale so its all good!

Dream Matte Powder - Maybelline

First up is my trusted Maybelline Dream Matte Powder. I'm sure you've already heard about this as it's got a loyal following but in short if you've oily skin this is amazing. I only use this to touch up and oiliness on my nose but it just absorbs oil like crazy! If you ever suffer with oiliness I can't recommend this enough and it's only £7.19 from Boots.

Cotton Candy Lip Butter - Revlon

This is another one you're probably fed up of hearing about as there are hundreds of revlon lip butter reviews out there. But this is super pretty and perfect for touching up on the go as you don't really need a mirror and it feels just like a lip balm.

Snow Fairy Lip Tint - Lush

This is lovely. If you get chance to buy it at christmas, it's limited edition, definitely try to pick it up. It smells divine, it adds a beautiful pink tint to your lips and it's not greasy on the lips. What more can you ask for? 

Peaches and Cream Blush - Vivo

Adding colour to my cheeks isn't something I usually need to worry about (naturally rosy cheeks) but sometimes after a long day my skin is just looking a little dull and I find a quick sweep of this on my apple makes the biggest difference! I'll review this separately as I could ramble on and on about this

Witch Stick

Kind of self explanatory really - If I get a blemish during the day I just pop some of this on it and it sorts it out. Simple. I don't carry this with me every day as I like to keep it with the rest of my skin care but it's a frequent visitor to my make up bag :) This is another one I'd recommend as for £2.89 you can't go too far wrong.

Witch Concealer Stick 01 & Mineral Cover Concealer 03 - Maybelline
Last up are the two concealers I cart about with me. The witch concealer is great for concealing spots - especially as it won't make them worse as it's got witch hazel in it. And then my mineral cover concealer I use solely for my under eyes as 03 it quite pink toned so it works amazingly a cancelling out any blue tones :) (There's talk of both being discontinued, which I hope isn't true. But I've seen both in stores so you should be able to find them)

After writing this I feel like I carry loads with me but I do genuinely use everything and it barely takes up any room. Let me know what you carry around with you on a daily basis!

Hope you've enjoyed!! xx

ELF Blush and Bronzer

I don’t think this product really need much introduction as it’s one of the most talked about ELF products I see on blogs and when I finally managed to get my hands on it (it always seems to be sold out!) I was really excited to see how it lived up to expectations.
E.L.F’s contouring blush and bronzer is part of the studio line at £3 which is cheap enough but E.L.F are always having deals and promotions so it’s best to wait a little while as I got mine for a measly £1.75!
Both the blush and the bronzer are much more pigmented than I was expecting and they have quite a nice texture too, not too powdery so it blends effortlessly. The blush is really quite beautiful as it’s a mix of a dusky pink and a little bit of coral with subtle golden shimmer which really is one of the most flattering shades.

I’ll be honest, I bought this mainly for the blush as nothing can compare, for me, to Benefit hoola for contouring however this is again surprisingly nice. It’s a little warmer than I’d like for a contour but not overly so and I have used this a few times to contour and I can see already this is going to be a favourite. In the pan the bronzer has a little bit of golden shimmer although this doesn’t transpire when you actually apply it.

Overall I have a feeling this will last quite a long time because it is really nicely pigmented and it’s definitely worth every penny and I imagine I’ll be repurchasing when it runs out!
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Hope this has been helpful!! x

Head Over Heels

I normally ensure I use new products for at least 2-3 weeks before writing a review (I always test out skin care products longer) just so I know I’ve thoroughly tested the product out. But I’ve only have this for a little over a week but I honestly love it!
(the packaging is definitely a bonus – so cute and yet so simple)
Topshop make up has been out for quite a while now and despite praise from other bloggers I was just never sure. I did however take the plunge last week and ordered Head over Heels Cream Blush online, along with a few other bits I got in the sale…

And I regret not trying it sooner! It’s the perfect blend of peach, pink and coral which makes it instantly flattering on my pale skin and looked just as pretty after I fake tanned!
The formula is creamy, easy to blend and dries to a powder finish. I’ll admit I would prefer it to have the dewiness associated with cream blushes but the powder formula does allow for a slightly more natural finish and for you to add your own highlight

Topshop make up is available in most large Topshops as well as online at £6 for 4g which is a pretty standard. The formula makes this definitely one of the best drugstore cream blushes out there at the moment!

I’ll definitely be checking out their other colours however for me Head over Heels is the blush that really stands out as shades like this are always a bit of a rare find at the drugstore!

Hope this has been helpful!! x

Pink Passion

I love my blushes. I’ve never had a problem with needing to inject colour into my cheeks but for some reason blushes always call to me and I have quite a few now. With my most recent addition being Pink Passion from E.L.F’s Studio line blushes

As you can see it’s an incredibly vibrant almost neon pink in the pan. And it’s a colour I have absolutely nothing like in my collection. I wouldn’t normally go for something like this however because it’s quite cool toned I love how this looks with a tan just on the very apples of my cheeks to add a pretty contrast.
Once swatched it isn’t as scary although its still quite bright it looks a little bit more like a baby doll pink.

I’ve only worn it a handful of times as it’s obviously not one that you can just throw on with anything. As far as the formula goes it’s a little chalky in comparisons to the other two blushes I own from this collection (peachy keen and twinkled pink both of which are gorgeous) But with a colour like this your obviously going to do a fair amount of blending and it does blend seamlessly without leaving a powdery look.

Would I recommend? I would if you’re after a bright colour but don’t want to spend a lot as you won’t be wearing it every day!
Hope this has been helpful!! x

P.SI just want to briefly mention E.L.F have a 3 different collections.
+ The Normal Line where everything is £1.50 ($1)
+ The Studio Line where everything is £3.50 ($3)
+ The Mineral line where things vary from £3 (US prices seem to vary)

Maxfactor miracle Touch 'creamy blush' Soft Rose

I’ll start of by saying I love this blush.
I love the consistency, colour, finish, price – everything :) So you’re now officially warned this review is likely to turn into me raving about it!
First of, you get 3g for around £7 which I generally wouldn’t be impressed with as you don’t get a ton of product. However I’ve been using this non stop for the past 3 or 4 months and I barely seem to have made a dint in it. So as far as value for money goes- I’d say it’s pretty damn good as I’m not sure I’m ever going to get to the bottom.
As for the colour range goes it does seem pretty poor. I can only find 4 different shades available at boots – Soft Pink(this one) Soft Murano, Soft Copper and Soft Candy. But even though the colour range is somewhat limited I do think the colours available are pretty versatile and I’m sure there’s something there for most people.
Soft rose is a mid toned bright pink which initially scared me a little as it looks quite bright but when applied it blends out into a lovely soft pink (or you build it up no problem for a bright statement blush)

I’m only going to mention the consistency and finish briefly – it’s not as pigmented as mac blushes nor is it as heavy instead it’s light and incredibly easy to blend and it dries to a pretty natural finish – neither matte nor dewy.

Overall I know I’ll repurchase as this is a great basic to have that I can throw on without much thought knowing it will go with any look and unlike some cream blushes I’m not worrying about trying to blend it.
I actually prefer this in many ways to some of my mac cream blushers!


Hope this has been helpful!! x

February Favourites 2011

I know I don’t do favourites every month but I discovered (and rediscovered) some really lovely products this month and I wanted to share with you how much I loved them!

Calvin Klein lipgloss in 212 Bella
I think I’ve mentioned this one before as I keep meaning to do a whole post on this lipgloss as I really love it. But put simply this is a gorgeous colour that isn’t too strong to wear during the day with a really creamy texture that makes your lips look really pretty!

Bobbi Brown long-Wear Gel Liner in Black ink
This is one of those products everyone seems to have tried and loved and I’ve got to say I haven’t been disappointed. I wear this near enough every day, and have been for the past 4 months and I have barely made a dint in this little tub!!

Trilogy energising face lotion
There will be a review on this and Trilogy’s face wash within the next month, however this has become my favourite moisturiser – my skin feels hydrated but not greasy and I swear it’s been a large reason for why my skin hasn’t been feeling dry despite the harsh weather!

Dior Skin sculpt concealer
For a concealer this is a little pricey but you only need 3 little dots under each eye and your under eyes are concealed and kept hydrated all day – again I’m planning to do a full review on this little tube I love it that much!

Smashbox blush in Famous
I’ve been eager for spring this past month and really wanted to be adding some warmth into my skin tone and this is the perfect everyday blush that compliments most skin tones! This was the first smashbox product I tried and at first I didn’t see what the fuss was about after a few months of trying it out though this really is a great staple item – the sort of thing I’ll repurchase time and time again because I know it’ll work for any look!

Hope you’ve enjoyed!! x