Makeup

My Small Mac Eyeshadow Collection

- Vicki 30 Comments

I’m not one of those people that needs to buy the latest Mac Collection & don’t often go to their counter, I tend to save my Mac purchases for the airport (not that often) and buy them duty free. The Few Mac eyeshadows I have I love & wear them all often. There is a common neutral theme, but I don’t wear bright shadows, so it makes more sense for me to invest in colours I will reach for time and time again. I do like the quality of Mac shadows and with a Primer I find they last all day, but they’re not the best quality I have ever tried. So I’m not in a huge rush to own every colour they have, although I do want Cranberry & Mulch.

Mac Eeyeshadows

Mac Makeup

I have 8 Mac Shadows, I did have Nylon but just didn’t use it enough, so I passed it on to a friend. The colours I have are,

A Wish Come True 3g – (Ltd edition)  This is from the Tartan Tale Colour Collection. This isn’t heavily pigmented, but it’s a very pretty pink shade with a frost finish. I use it mostly in the inner corner of my eye, it’s brightening and is pretty when the light hits & picks up the subtle silver frost finish.

Amber Lights 1.5g – Oh how I love this shade, It’s a shade I always recommend to friends. It’s a lovely buttery shadow with great pigmentation. You can use it lightly all over the lid for a really nice light copper tone, or build it up to give an intense deep orange / copper colour. This is another frost finish, it has a gorgeous metallic look to it. It’s well-loved in my collection.

Sweet Heat Extra Dimension Eyeshadow 2g – (Ltd edition) This gives such an intense almost wet look on the eyelids, it is a brown/bronze/taupe colour with a gorgeous metallic finish. This feels like silk and applies so easily with very little blending needed. It’s one of the prettiest eyeshadows I own.

Woodwinked 1.5g – This is my most worn shadow & I simply adore it. Mac describe it as a ‘warm antique gold’ shade. I find this colour easy to wear. It’s easy to blend & often I wear it on it own all over the lid. It’s my lazy day eye look, which still looks put together. If you don’t already have this shade you should invest as it’s just gorgeous.

Mac Beluga 1.5g – I was lucky enough to win this at Christmas in an Xmas giveaway. So it is a little out of my comfort zone in terms of colour (as you can see by my neutral colour addiction). Mac describe Beluga as a ‘dark charcoal with multidimensional pearl’ (with a Veluxe finish), I think in some lights it looks like they have a green undertone and a gold shimmer. It’s very pretty & perfect for a smokey eye. I need to work with it a little more as my smokey eye can often look like I have been punched or just applied far too much makeup.

Satin Taupe 1.5g – This is a staple in my makeup bag as It’s a great all over the lid shade, or it can be worn with so many other shades. It’s such a versatile colour. It doesn’t look like much in the pot, but on the lid the slight silver shimmer gives it a very pretty finish and it’s such a wearable neutral shade. I think this is a must-have shade for any beauty lover. This is a frost finish

Bisque 1.5g- This is the shadow I wear when I’m wearing very little makeup, as it’s a very light beige shade that evens out the colour on my eyelids without it looking like you’re wearing any eyeshadow at all. It’s much loved in my collection, even though it looks like quite a boring shade in the pan. It’s the ultimate neutral and has a matte finish. Not one I’d urge you to run out and buy, but I am glad I have it in my collection. It’s good as a transition colour too. I think Mac have now discontinued this shade (sad face)

Naked Lunch 1.5g – This is such an easy-to-wear colour, it gives your eyes a brightness and looks so pretty. It’s a light peachy pink with a frosted finish. It also makes a nice inner corner highlight shade as the champagne sheen isn’t too glitzy, one thing to note it that It doesn’t wear long on me without a primer. That being said, it’s a popular colour in my collection.

Mac Eyeshadows

Top – botton – Sweet Heat // Amber Lights // Woodwinked

Mac

L-R – Woodwinked // Amber Lights // Sweet Heat

Mac Eyeshadows are generally £12.50 

What are your favourite Mac shadows, are there any in your collection you’d recommend?

Starting To Get Organised #1

- Vicki 14 Comments

Acrylic Muji Drawers

I’ve had my MUJI Storage for a little over a month now and I’ve still not organised them exactly how I want them, but I thought I would show you one of my most used drawers. I will say I do really like my MUJI drawers & where I’m currently living I don’t have as much space as I used to so its nice to have my most used products more to hand & these drawers look nice but the 5 drawer one I have isn’t very deep so bare that in mine, only slim products fit in.

Now on to what’s in the drawer,

Makeup in my MUJI drawers

This is my most used bronzers & highlighters (at the moment).  This drawer fits these in really nicely and being able to see them all laid out makes me want to use them all the more.

Top row

Topshop Sunbeam – This is a gold highlight and I think its nice for evening as it is more on the glitzy side. It has great colour pay off & a little goes a long way with this. I like to apply it to my cheekbones & it gives a pretty sheen to the cheeks. If you’re lucky enough to have a tan this highlighter really compliments it. As always Topshop packaging is very pretty, but there is no mirror in this which is often a pain. There is no way I will ever hit pan on this as you get so much product. Full review here. I have tried to find it online & I don’t think its sold anymore

pur Contour/Highlight Powder Duo in Uncover – I love that this is a matte bronzer and isn’t muddy or orange in colour. Its a great contour shade and is easy to blend and work with. The highlighter is a very subtle pretty pink shade and just lifts the face and makes you look flushed. The packaging is nice and sleek and it has a really big mirror in which is so handy. I like to pop this in my handbag for makeup touch ups on the go.

Mac MSF Natural in the shade Medium – I’ve hit pan on this baby and its lasted me almost 2 years of nearly daily usages. Its a great powder for smoothing out my skin and giving it natural glow thats not powdery at all. I don’t use it all over, I tend to sweep it over the centre of my face focusing mostly on my forehead. I love it & will repurchase a new one before this runs out. It just gives my skin a luminosity without looking glittery or too made up. Best £22 I’ve ever spent

Makeup

Bottom Row

Soap & Glory Glow All Out – This is my least reached for product out of the 6. It is a very pretty face powder & it gives your skin a beautiful glow. I need to use it a little more to get it to work for me. I find it sits in my fine lines. I have put it in my drawer so I remember to use it more. If you have a way this works for you let me know as its too gorgeous not to use.

Soap & Glory Solar Powder – This is my daily bronzer right now, I can’t get enough of this. In the pan it doesn’t look like much but once on the skin its just beautiful. I mix the two shades together to give a subtle sun kissed effect. I sweep it over the tip of my forehead & down on to my cheeks. This isn’t going to give you a deep colour its more for paler skin tones. It just adds such a warm glow to the skin and makes me look healthy. I don’t feel right applying my makeup & not using it.

Mac MSF Soft & Gentle – Now I have to be careful not to go OTT on this. It is a bronze highlighter and it gives the most stunning iridescent glow. I like to wear this when I’m wearing a little more makeup than my day to day simple look. It just adds so much radiance to my face & when I do wear it I fall in love with it all over again. I find this also wears a really long time on my skin no touch ups necessary So glad I have this in my collection.

Let me know what your favourite bronzer / highlighters are or if you’ve been reaching for any of the ones I’ve talked about.

British Beauty Blogger : The Dream Box

- Vicki 10 Comments
bbbboxdreambox

So for her third (and best yet) beauty box, The British Beauty Blogger teamed up with Latest in Beauty to give us The Dream Box. I was so determined to get my hands on this box, as the 2 previous boxes sold so quickly that I missed out and was very disappointed. The Dream Box is packed to the gills (no space for tissue paper) full of beauty must haves & Jane’s personal favourite products. I think that’s what I like about these boxes, is that they’re tired & tested products & products Jayne can’t live without.

Beauty Box

British Beauty Blogger Dream Box

So I managed to bag myself a box and I’m excited because although I have tried a few of the brands before I have not tried any of these specific products and for a beauty addict that’s exactly what you want from a Beauty Box, to discover new products & brands. This has no dud products in fact the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara is worth more that I paid for the entire box. So in my box there were no less than 15 products,

British Beauty Bloggers The Dream Box

The Dream Box

Benefit it’s potent! Eye cream (3g)
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (Full Size, 8ml)
Elemis Treat Your Feet FOOT CREAM (20ml)
L’Occitane Divine Lotion (50ml)
Essie Spring Shades (Full Size, 13.5ml) – shade Fashion Playground
REN Satin Perfection BB Cream (3ml)
Charlote Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick sachets (1 sachet)
La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water (50ml)
ROGER & GALLET Gingembre Rouge (1.5ml vial)
Janjira Hand Wash (50ml)
LOLA Make Up Kabuki Brush (Full Size)
Makeup Revolution Awesome Eyeshadow & Eyebrow Palette (Full Size) – Disappear till tomorrow
Bourjois Cream Blush (Full size, 2.5g) – 01 Nude Velvet
Kneipp® Herbal Baths (Full Size, 100ml) – May Chang – Lemon
Bee Good Honey & Wild Water Mint 3-in-1 Cleansing Water (Full Size, 100ml)

I love my BB creams & I’m excited to try the REN one & also I don’t own any Essie polishes so I can finally see what all the fuss is about – plus I got a very pretty shade. The box was only £19.95 & the contents are worth over £100! What a great deal. If you missed out on this box, I hear on the grape vine that there is another box in the works for later in the year. The best way to hear when, where & how is by following @BritBeautyBlog on Twitter (if you’re not already).

If you did manage to get your hands on this box, what products are you most excited to try? Let me know in the comments.

Right I am off for a serious pamper session & test all these beauties out.

Effortless Eyesdadow : Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks

- Vicki 12 Comments
Caviar sticks for eyes

Cream Eyeshadows I seem to be attracted to make up that comes in the form of a crayon & these Laura Mercier Caviar Eyeshadow Sticks called my name. This set of 4 mini ones were a Christmas release in Space.NK, and I’m so glad I treated myself to them, as I’ve used them so much. They are perfect for those of us that like to get ready quickly but still look put together.

Caviar Sticks For Eyes What I like most about these is their effortless application, one swipe across your lids and a little blend with your finger & you’re ready to go. They apply a perfect, even amount of colour. If you wanted to spend a little more time, you can put down a little more colour or combine a couple of the shades and blend out the edges with a brush. These are all very pigmented and the shades I have are very pretty & wearable. They all have a slight metallic finish to them, but nothing too glitzy. These twist up so no need to sharpen, and they’re handy for travel. Cream shadows are my go-to eye look when I’m in a time crunch.

If you have oily lids or if eyeshadow usually creases on you then these will be your new best friend as they glide across your lids without tugging, their creamy consistency means they’re easy to blend then they dry and don’t budge. When I initially swatched these in the store they were on my hand until the next morning despite washing my hands several times.  They stay all day without transferring, creasing or fading, that’s got to be all anyone wants from their eyeshadow, right? You can also use these as a base/primer and apply your regular powder shadows over the top for a more dramatic look, but I mostly wear these by themselves as the colours are pigmented.

Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks

Caviar Stick Swatches

L-R  RoseGold //Amethyst // Pink Opal // Sugar Frost.

Rosegold is a stunning peachy copper colour and looks perfect worn all over the lid, it is a gorgeous shade. The colour pay off is opaque in one swipe.

Amethyst is a deep taupe with a touch of shimmer. This is my most used shade out of the four. It’s great for day or night and just gives your lids a lovely wash of colour. It has a metallic finish & is also pretty paired with Pink Opal

Pink Opal is a frosty pink and looks lovely. I found this shade was a little harder than the others to blend, but it still looks nice on & is a great inner corner highlight. It is the least pigmented but is subtle and gives your eyes a touch of brightness.

Sugar Frost is a golden champagne shade with lots of glitz, this is the shade I wear the least, but I think this would be a pretty colour for a night out. If you apply this in too much of a rush it can look a little patchy, but if you spend a moment to blend it before it dries you get an even distribution of colour.

I think Amethyst and Rose gold are my two favourite shades, and I think they wear the best and apply effortlessly on my lids. If you have time to apply a primer under these, they will sit a little better on your eyelids. Being a little older, my eyelids have some wrinkles, so I do always apply a primer. It makes my shadows sit better & wear longer.

Let me know if you have tried any of these Caviar Sticks & what shade is your favourite.

All four of these are in their permanent collection and available full size. I will be buying a few more of these as they have 18 to pick from ranging from smoking grey to gorgeous mint greens. Full size these are £20.50.