Makeup Revolution Ultra Bronze, Shimmer and Highlight

I've done a few separate posts about my most recent Makeup Revolution haul, the final product from that haul I've been wanting to write a post on is the Ultra Bronze, Shimmer and Highlight. What attracted me most to this product was the fact you can either use the shades separately or swirl together to achieve the look you want. Any space saving products are welcome in my make-up bag in the summer months, although I try to keep my makeup minimal you do seem to need more products just to achieve that natural look!

I usually recoil at the thought of using a shimmery bronzer, I'm very much stuck in my ways with bronzer...I like a matte bronzer and applying highlighter where needed over the top. Anyway, much to my delight this bronzer isn't as shimmery as I expected, however neither is the highlighter. The highlighter would only be any good to medium/dark skin tones in my opinion, it's far to dark to use on my fair (NC15) skin.

On my skin I find the centre colour perfect, maybe a little too red toned, for an all-over bronzer and the darker shade for contouring. All of the shades blend very well, the formula is a silky powder and wears very well. As with most of Makeup Revolutions products that I have tried you get an incredible amount of product for your money. At only £4 this is a bargain beauty product every girl should try for the summer.

MAC Ravishing

A couple of weeks ago I added to my MAC lippy collection with the gorgeous Ravishing from the Cremesheen family. Ravishing is a clean, light peachy coral shade with excellent pigmentation and has a milky texture on the lips. This shade looks lovely co-ordinated with a peach toned blusher, keeping the rest of the face minimalistic. 

MAC Ravishing

At first I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to pull this colour off as I'm quite pale (NC15) but I adore this colour, it's the perfect understated coral shade. I've been wearing this most days with a light dusting of my Body Shop bronzer and a little eyeliner and mascara and it lifts my complexion.

Trial-Sized Tuesday - Clarins Eye Contour Gel

Last week whilst stocking up on my favourite Clarins product (Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster) I selected a few samples before checking out (you can choose 3 free samples with every order!) one of which was Clarins Eye Contour Gel. I really feel my eyes are the only thing that are starting to give my age away, I've inherited some lovely dark circles from mother and any product that promises to aid with puffiness and lighten the bin bags under my eyes is going to catch my attention.
This eye gel promises 'Expert eye care to fight puffiness and dark circles. A refreshing gel that reduces puffiness and minimises the appearance of dark circles.' Now I've only used this for the last couple of mornings so I can't comment on it aiding the reduction of my dark circles but I can say that this is a refreshing product to use in the morning to help freshen tired eyes. The sample size is a generous one, the full size product is 20ml (around 3 months of use) and the sample 3ml so I expect it will last me a couple of weeks.
Clarins is a new brand for me, not that I've only just heard of them but i am only just delving in to their products and I must say I'm enjoying what I've tried so far. I'm looking forward to trying some of their make-up products, have you tried any? What are your favourites?

Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster

I've been using this product for around 3 weeks now, long enough in my opinion to give a review. Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster is a self tanner but in a concentrated form meaning you can add it to your usual serum or moisturiser with no nasty streaks or an orange result. 

The concept is simple, you add the desired amount of drops (3 are recommended) to your usual serum or moisturiser, mix in your hand and apply as usual. Once you reach your desired level of tan you can either continue using daily with just a drop in your usual moisturiser or serum or just apply every few days. This is still a tanning product so be sure to wash your hands afterwards.

This product is absolutely incredible! How no-one came up with the idea before is beyond me, the concept is a simple one yet it has vastly improved my complexion. I regularly use tanning products on my body but I avoid at all costs using them on my face as most tend to clog my pores leading to (more!) spots, this has evened out my face and decollate to the same colour as my body with no nasty streaks. What I really love about this product is that you are in control of the development of the tan. If 3 drops didn't give you the depth of colour you were looking for the night before then you can simply add more the next night. 

If you regularly read my blog you will know I have oily skin and suffer from hormonal breakouts. I haven't found my skin has been any more oily or any more prone to spots than usual, intact it's pretty traceless apart from the glowing results you get the following day. Not only does my skin look more tanned but it looks healthier, skin tone more even and it makes my acne scars less apparent.

This product will forever (as long as it's available) be in my skincare routine.

Makeup Revolution Vivid Blush Lacquer - Rush & Heart

You may have read my post last week about Makeup Revolutions Baked Highlighters, in the same little haul I purchased two of their Vivid Blush Lacquer's in Rush and Heart. The first thing that stood out to me about these liquid blushers was the intensity of the colour, just a small amount of product gives a pop of colour to your cheeks. Both colours were extremely blendable and thanks to this you can layer the blusher until the desired intensity is reached. These blushers are a slightly creamy textured liquid blushers dispensed via a handy little pump.

Left - Rush
Right - Heart

Rush is the bright pink shade. Apply with a light hand as the pigment is insanely strong and it's very easy to apply too much. This blushers dries quite quickly so apply lightly and work quickly. I applied sparingly with my finger and then buffed with my Real techniques blending brush and the finish is really nice...it's amazing how much more fresh your complexion looks with a pink blusher...

Makeup Revolution Vivid Blush Lacquer - Rush

Heart is an extremely wearable peachy tan shade that would suit most skin tones. I found this shade a little easier to work with as it blended very well with my bronzer and is more of a natural flush than a vivid pop  of colour...

Makup Revolution Vivid Blush Lacquer - Heart

Another product that has won me over from Makeup Revolution. For the amount of product you will need to use on each application these blushers will last forever and for £3 there's no reason I can think of not to buy the whole collection! The formula is seriously impressive, yes the packaging isn't the most glamorous but if the formula matches, or I'd dare say better than some high-end blushers I've tried...then who really cares?

Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain - LA Exclusive & Rio Rush

Last week whilst in Boots I picked up two of the new Colorstay Moisture Stain's by Revlon in the shades LA Exclusive and Rio Rush, I only went in for some paracetamol but I'm always a sucker for a bargain and as these little pretties were 2 for £10 I just couldn't resist! Theses new offerings from Revlon give a non-sticky glass-like shine and hours of wear thanks to the highly pigmented stain. I don't usually like to wear a lipgloss (who wants their hair stuck in it every 5 minutes?!) but this is something different, it offers the shine of a gloss but the texture of a moisturising lipstick.

LA Exclusive

Rio Rush 

I really like this new lip product, there is a vast range of colours in the range so there is something for everyone and isn't the packaging just beautiful?!

August's Birchbox - Contents And Review

This month's Birchbox contains a selection of products with the thought of getaway's in mind.  The products selected are some great travel essentials including a leave-in conditioner, perfect for sun damaged hair and a mineral-infused exfoliator to help you brighten and prolong that tan. So lets take a closer look at my box's contents...

Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator  is an aloe-infused exfoliator that targets clogged pores and any dry, flaky skin. Suitable for even sensitive skin due to the tiny exfoliating crystals and creamy texture this face scrub is guaranteed to leave you with glowing skin. The sample was a generous size, I can see I will get a good 3-4 uses from it. I really enjoyed using this product, I'm not convinced enough to purchase the full size as I currently use a cheaper but equally as good product, but it's definitely a nice treat for the skin.

Numer 4 Lumiere d'Hiver Comb Prep & Protect has got to be my favourite product from this month's box. Not only does it smell absolutely gorgeous but it left my hair so soft after using it last night. I have naturally curly hair which at times can be a little course without the right products and this product really de-tangled my hair tamed my frizziness. Another reason it gets a big thumbs up from me is that it's 100% paraben-free and sulphate-free meaning that it's genuinely conditioning your hair and not just sealing the shaft with silicones giving the appearance of glossier hair. I definitely will go on to purchase the full-size product.

The product that I was most looking forward to trying but actually turned out to be, in my opinion, the worst product in the box was Supergoop Daily Correct CC Cream. The sample sizes were ok, enough to get 2-3 uses, but the product itself was very disappointing. First thing I noticed when squeezing it out of the tube was the colour, for a CC cream that is supposed to be for fair/medium skin tones it has incredibly red undertones. At the moment I wear NC20 and this was far too dark and red for even my tanned skin. Secondly the texture was horrible. This product is described as lightweight and velvety but I have to say it felt heavy and greasy on my skin. Big thumbs down from me on this one!

Dead Sea Spa Magik Refreshing Shower Gel  in my first initial opinion is a bit meh. Sure a shower gel of some form is a travel essential but I would have preferred something a bit more luxurious and fragrant...something to take you back to that place you holidayed when you use it! This multipurpose product can either be poured in to a running bath or used lathered in the shower and with it's pure minerals from the Dead Sea it's guaranteed to be good for your skin.

Another product I was looking forward to trying but a bit bummed out because if the shade I received was the Wild About Beauty Powder Eyeshadow. I received shade 01 Paradise, a highly-pigmented gold eyeshadow. I find it a little hard to get excited about this product purely due to the colour I received however the packaging is beautiful and there are a great selection of wearable colours in the line so I may purchase I shade I like to road test it properly.

The lifestyle extra is this months box was a chapter from a romantic novel titled The Proposal by Tasmina Perry. When I have a little spare time I may have a quick flick through it, however romances aren't really my thang!

A bit of a meh box this month in my opinion. As much as I've enjoyed using the prep & protect spray and exfoliator I really could have done without all of the products I received and probably would have liked to have seen some more beauty products or fragrances.

Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter - Swatches And Review

Earlier last week I had a little Makeup Revolution haul, the products I've been most excited about trying are their Vivid Baked Highlighters. I decided to purchase the two most wearable shades Golden Lights and Peach Lights. Both of the products contain an incredible amount of product for the mere £3 price tag.

Peach Lights leans more on the pink side, perfect for wearing over the top of blusher or used lightly for highlighting on fair/medium skin tones. Golden Lights is a subtle gold toned highlighter that would suit any skin tone. The picture of the highlighters above were quite heavily swatched to demonstrate the colour, when applied lightly they result in a gorgeous, subtle glow. Neither of these highlighters are at all glittery, they are finely milled so when applied lightly they blend perfectly with your skin.

These great value highlighters are something I would definitely recommend to anyone, the formula and size definitely challenges some of my high-end highlighters.

August's You Beauty Discovery Box

A bit of a late post, August's edition of You Beauty Discovery has been sat on my dresser waiting for me to riffle through since last Friday. This month's product selection was themed 'Summer Essentials' and the short list included back-to-basics products perfect for the summer months, including products like Eucerin sunscreen and a Marsk eyeshadow. Here's my product selection...

My first choice product was a nude polish by Peggy Sage. I've never tried any products from this brand, in fact I'd never heard of it until this month's shortlist came up so I'm interested to try the product. There was a choice of either a nude polish or or a brighter 'summer collection'  I chose the nude as I have plenty of brights and a nude never goes out of fashion!

Mys second product selection was Lousie Galvin Sacred Locks Treatment Masque as I'm always a sucker for haircare products. This product is said to contain a naturally modified form of honey (what ever that may be!) combined with wheat protein and natural conditioning agents to immediately hydrate hair. I'm loving the sound of this masque and I'm looking forward to putting it to the test and seeing the results!

Also included with this month's box was a sample of Jimmy Choo and Jimmy Choo man (much appreciated by the hubby!) and a handy little nail file/buffing block. 

If you fancy trying out the excellent value You Beauty Discovery box for only £6.95 inc p&p I couldn't recommend it enough. Not is there something for everyone on each month's product shortlist but it's excellent value for money with the brands and sample sizes that are included.

Trial-Sized Tuesday - Paul And Joe Moisturising Foundation Primer

Over the weekend I ordered a new make-up bag from Asos by Paul and Joe. What I didn't actually realize until after purchasing was that I was actually purchasing a lip balm and the cosmetic bag and 10ml primer came as free extras...either way the whole package is gorgeous!

Yesterday I decided to put the primer to the test, I've not tried may products by Paul and Joe so I was pretty excited to do so. Paul and Joe Moisturizing Foundation Primer probably wouldn't have been my first choice if I was shopping for a primer as I don't suffer from dry skin, quite the opposite actually, my skin is oily/combination so if anything I tend to go for a mattifying primer.There are 3 shades of this primer available, I received shade 01 Dragee which is ideal for light to medium skintones. The primer is pretty much the same colour as my foundation (MAC Studio Fix NC15) and did a nice job of evening out my skin a little before applying my foundation. When applying it initially feels a little bit sticky but within a couple of minutes it drys to a nice glowy finish with a subtle shimmer. What really impressed me about this primer is the way it transforms your foundation, you still get the same colour and performance from your foundation but this primer really transforms the finish in to a gorgeous dewy one. The primer contains Secret D'Or (the secret of gold - apparently) and a subtle gold pearl shimmer creating a subtle dewy complexion.I'm really impressed with this primer, so much so I will definitely be purchasing the full size product when my sample runs out. Although I have oily/combination skin it held up all day (I had my face on for around 15 hours yesterday) and I didn't need to blot excess shine away at all. If you fancy giving this primer a go with the bonus extras of a lip balm and cute cosmetic bag you can buy it from ASOS for only £11.50!

My First Pink Parcel - Contents And Review

Last month I discovered and subscribed to a wonderful service designed to make that not so convenient time of the month just that little bit more easier and fun. Pink Parcel is a monthly subscription service that you can totally taylor to your periods requirements, choosing the brand, type and absorbency of either tampons or towels conveniently delivered to your door in time for Mother Nature's monthly gift! Not only do you get the right amount of tampons/towels to see you through but they also include some lovely little extra's to put a smile on your face. I chose the 'Multi Parcel' and Tampax compact as my brand of choice (my regular brand) the Multi Parcel includes different absorbencies, enough to see you through your cycle. Here's what I received in my first ever Pink Parcel...

First up is a cute little bag for your handbag with 5 Light Tampax, perfect for the beginning/end of your cycle. I like the idea of including a little bag as it will be handy to store all period paraphernalia, stopping it all from floating around in your handbag.

Next up is my supply to see me through the main part of my cycle. The first box contained 7 regular Tampax Compact and 4 super Tampax Compact and the second box (not pictured) contained an additional 3 super Tampaz Compact and 7 super-plus Tampax Compact. Thanks to being on a reliable contraception my cycles frequency and and heaviness is very predictable so this will be an ample amount for my personal needs.

Last and by all means not least we have a little box of goodies! Included was a sachet of Teapigs Peppermint tea (aids digestion and helps with bloating) a small bar of vanilla dark chocolate, a 30ml bottle of Bio Oil, a 50 ml bottle of Roc Soleil sunscreen, a Roc Soleil lip balm and a gorgeous pink polish from Binky London. A great selection of summer themed treats, all of which will be used.

I'm thrilled with my first ever Pink Parcel, not only is the concept a great one but the whole package is of great quality and variation. If you fancy checking out Pink Parcel your first month is only £5.95 and then £9.95 (including p&p) for every subsequent month.

MAC Creme Cup Lipstick Review

Being a huge lover of pink lipsticks I couldn't resist making Creme Cup part of my (vast) lipstick collection. 

Creme Cup is a light, blue-toned pink from the Cremesheen line of MAC's permanent collection. This subtle shade isn't overly opaque and is very build able, it leaves a gorgeous sheen on the lips.

Creme Cup is a gorgeous dusky pink that every girl should have in her collection, perfect for day or night. Since purchasing this has been my top choice for lippy for work, it's just the right amount of colour and sheen for a polished look.

MAC Snob Lipstick Review

Another addition made to my MAC lipstick collection last week was Snob, a light neutral pink. Like all other MAC lipsticks Snob has a vanilla scent but is taste-free and comes in their signature sleek packaging.

Snob is a cool-toned medium pink with ever-so-slight grey undertones and is part of the Satin finish line in MAC's permanent collection. The finish is quite opaque and I did find it a little dryer than any of the other Satin finish lipsticks I've tried from them but nothing that can't be solved with a little lip balm prior to use.

I absolutely adore this shade, it's slightly bubblegum pink which I think is a really fun colour for and girls lipstick collection. This shade wears for around 4 hours on me before the need to reapply and as it's a light shade doesn't stain at all.

July Beauty Favourites

With July going by in an absolute flash I bring a round up of my favourite beauty buys and there were some fantastic ones! The great thing about summer is lighter make-up, halving the time we take in the morning to get ready by using just a few products to enhance that tan we've gained. Let's take a look at the products I've been reaching for most frequently in July...

Cosmetic Warrior 

Lush Cosmetic Warrior has been my favourite face mask of July. Anyone that reads my blog knows I suffer from bad skin (thanks to PCOS) so I have to keep on top of my skincare routine and Cosmetic Warrior has made a vast improvement to my skin over the few weeks I have been using it. This cooling mask is designed to deep-cleanse spot-prone skin, soothing redness and help banish break-outs. Best kept in the fridge, you can get around 6 uses from one 75g tub, it must be used within 3 weeks so this gives you a generous amount for a mask twice weekly.

Peach Club

One of my favourite lip colours of last month was from the Rouge Edition Velvet line by Bourjois in the shade Peach Club. This is the best matte lip product I've tried. Peach Club is a very wearable peachy-coral colour that looks gorgeous applied with your finger for a softer finish or applied with the wand for a bolder colour pay-off. This feathery-light matte lipstick doesn't dry lips at all and is completely transfer resistant giving you at least 8 hours without the need for re-application. With the hot weather we were having last month I found myself reaching more and more for this gorgeous lip colour and it just lasts and lasts and as I was confident I wouldn't need to reapply it saved space in my bag by not carrying a million lip products!

Miss Manga Mascara

I received Loreal's Miss Manga Mascara  in July's You Beauty box and I've been using it pretty much every day. Not only does this mascara actually give lashes volume it also has incredible staying power and I find very little transference in this hot and humid weather. Initially when I pulled the wand from the tube I thought it would leave my lashes quite clumpy as the brush holds a lot of the product but the end result is quite the opposite, lashes are longer and thicker and there is no brittleness of the formula.

Barry M Gelly Coconut

I absolutely love Barry M's Gelly range and I'm already on my second bottle of the shade Coconut. Coconut is the perfect creamy off-white shade that I have been pretty much wearing throughout the whole of July. The opacity isn't that great, I find I need 3 coats for a perfect finish but this hasn't deterred me from wearing as like the other shades from their range it is long wearing and has a perfect gel like finish.

Bourjois Pink Sunwear

Since getting my hands on the new shades of cream blushers from Bourjois Pink Sunwear has been a blusher I have reached for on a daily basis. This gorgeous shade is a tan cream blusher with pink undertones and the fine gold shimmer it contains leaves you with a healthy glow to your cheeks. Like all other cream blushers from Bourjois this blush blends like a dream thanks to its gel like constituency and is extremely long wearing.

Body Shop Honey Bronzer

I did a post about this absolutely perfect little bronzer a couple of days ago. I've been wearing shade 2 every day since I bought it, it's a completely matte bronzer with yellow undertones which is perfect for my fair (NC15) skin, leaving me with a natural glow and no muddiness or obvious orange tones. Not only is the shade perfect for my fair skin but the formula itself is silky and extremely blend able.

A great month for new beauty discoveries, I have found some fantastic products that will be residing in my daily routine throughout the summer.

Bronzers for fair skinned beauty's - Body Shop Honey Bronzers

It is with great pleasure I bring to you THE perfect bronzers for us fair skinned gals...

I ordered these bronzers on a bit of a whim last week when they had a 50% off offer running, at £6.50 each I wasn't to fussed if they didn't suit me but much to my delight they are perfect!

Shade 1 Light Matte

Shade 1 is a more pink/red toned bronzer so this would be more suitable to fair skin with a pink undertone.

Shade 2 Fair Matte

Shade 2 has yellow undertones to it so is more suited to skin with yellow undertones such as mine (I am NC15 for colour reference.

Apart from the bargain price of £13 and the generous 11.5g of product in the pan, what I absolutely love about this budget bronzer is the finish. Having fair skin I usually have to tread carefully with bronzers as they are nearly always on the red side and way too harsh against my skin tone, shade 2 is perfect for my skin as it compliments by yellow undertones and looks completely natural.

L Shade 2 Honey Bronzer
R Benefit Hoola

Just for colour reference I've added a picture of Shade 2 against Benefit's Hoola, you can really see that Body Shop's Honey Bronzer is less of a muddy colour.

Left Shade 1
Centre Shade 2
Right Benefit Hoola

If like me you're faired skinned and always getting it wrong with bronzers then I urge you to try Bodyshop's Honey Bronzers! Not only are the shades perfect for injecting a little life into your complexion without leaving you looking dirty but the formula itself is silky, completely matte and completely foolproof!  I have tried many high-end bronzers and this is by far my favourite, it's taken place in my daily routine and I can't see it being replaced all summer!