MAC Haul

I have taken a few cheeky trips to MAC recently, so I thought I would do a collective haul and share what I have picked up and what my thoughts are on them so far.

Before going into the stores, and I really do recommend this, I researched what products I wanted so I have a vague idea of what I would be getting as MAC stores can get pretty hectic.  

The first thing I knew that I wanted was the MAC Face and Body foundation, of which I had heard a lot of reviews and raves about. I was stuck between the colours C4 and C5 but ended up getting the C5 as it matched my forehead and chin the best and I will be reviewing it soon. This cost me £22 as I got the smaller bottle.

I also got a Mineralize Skin Finish in the colour medium dark, and this was £24. I have worn this a couple of times so far and I really like the finish on it!

The rest of the things I picked were four lipsticks which are priced £15.50 each. These lipsticks that I will be talking about are all neutral nudish colours and are suitable for everyday wear.

The first one I picked up was Twig which is the perfect pink for my skintone. It is a nude pink, but more on the pink side, and looks perfect with any look. It goes really well with the MAC lipliner in the colour Soar.

I also bought the colour Taupe which is the perfect shade of brown, it can be worn lightly for an everyday look or built up to increase the intensity for a bolder look.

The next colour is Mocha which is also another nude/brown colour but has a slight brick undertone. It is slightly  brighter and adds a pop of colour to lips but is still wearable for everyday.

Finally, my favourite, I bought the iconic Velvet Teddy! This is the perfect "my lips but better" colour and I have been reaching for it almost every day. It is the perfect mix of brown and pink and I am in love it.

The colours may look similar but I promise they are different! (Especially when applied to the lips)

MAC has the best lipstick colours, and I can't wait to expand my collection. Thanks for reading and I hope you've enjoyed!

L'Oreal Nude Magique Blur Primer Review

I always use this product in my posts and is definitely my favourite primer at the moment. I picked this up in a previous haul, which you can read about in a previous post and I instantly fell in love with it so I thought I would review it.

There are two shades - light to medium and medium to dark, of which I bought the latter shade and it is priced £9.99 in Boots, so a little on the pricier side but I still quite affordable.

The primer is flesh coloured but does not leave any colour on the skin after it has been applied. It is silicone based and feels makes the skin feel so smooth once it has been applied and provides an even base which makes foundation application all the more easier and more long lasting.

After applying it, it doesn't feel like I have anything on my so it is very lightweight and is also slightly mattifying so gives a satin finish, which I personally love as it looks the most natural.

The product description states that it has micro blur technology which has "light reflectors" that has an "optical blurring effect". This means that it blurs pores, and although my pores don't completely disappear, it really does make a difference.

I use my fingertips to apply it as I have found that is the easiest for me, but anything can be used - a brush or even a sponge. I have also found that a little goes a long way so the 25ml of product should last.

As I have said, this is my current favourite primer and I have been using for a few months ago so I definitely recommend it. Hope you've enjoyed!

PS: I am so sorry that I have been MIA for the past 2 weeks or so -  I have been busy with university deadlines and exams. I will hopefully be back in the swing of things soon as the holidays hit in 2 weeks time! 

How I use my ABH contour kit and Mini Review

Everyone has obviously been raving about the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit, and I have joined the bandwagon - it is amazing! The powders are so fine and they blend into the skin like a dream. They are so well pigmented so a little goes a long way.

I bought it off the US website and got it shipped to the UK - I do not recommend doing this because even though it is cheaper in the US - there are custom costs and all sorts of hassle.

I bought the light palette and there are six colours in total. These are Vanilla, Banana, Sand, Java, Fawn and Havana.

The Vanilla shade is pink based and is my least used colour and I usually use it as an eyeshadow. The Banana shade is my favourite - I use it to set my under eyes and as a brightening powder. Sand is also another shade I don't use very often, but I use it as an inner corner and brow bone highlight and also sometimes as a general highlighter on the highest points on my face.

To contour I mix together Java and Fawn which looks perfect and natural and to bronze up and create a flawless finish I use Havana on my cheekbones.

There are many ways to use the contour kit, it is so versatile and is one of my favourites in my collection, hope you've enjoyed!

Ayumi Neem Face Wash Review

Today I have decided to do something a little different - one of my best friends came across a product recently that she can't seem to stop raving about and when she asked to do a guest post I was like hell yes! Read on to find out about this little gem she seems to have found...

Hey everyone! Tia here, one out of 3 of Bushra’s Best Friends. (Best of the 3 might I add).

So I just started university a month ago and surprise, surprise – my spot infested face shows exactly how stressed I already am! That’s when I realised I needed to make a change in my skincare routine to try and sort this out. I decided to start off with the basics and try a new face wash (I had been previously using a Simple Skincare face wash), something that goes above and beyond simple everyday needs… That’s when I stumbled upon *drum roll* Ayuuri Neem Face Wash!

Ayumi Neem Face Wash, £3.49 Sainsburys

The reason why this particular product caught my eye was due to its key ingredients: Neem and Tea Tree oils; which are well known for their anti-bacterial properties, as well as Peppermint oil to keep skin refreshed. I was also told that Neem has lightening properties too which is a bonus. I also love the fact that you get 200ml of the product for an amazing price!

I have only been using for about a week so far, every morning and night, using a pea sized amount and massaging it onto my dampened face in a circular motion. I do this until the gel lathers at which point I wash it off with cold water and just moisturise (I wash my face with hot water beforehand to up my pores).

After having used it for a little while I can already notice the difference! This face wash has managed to reduce the spots on my face, lightened my skin slightly (which is great for my uneven skin tone) and so far I haven’t seen any new spots appearing. Therefore I’m expecting even better results in the future!

I would definitely recommend this product for anyone who has had a recent breakout and for times when you’re stressed to prevent such breakouts. It’s just a really great product to help you through those tough times! I can already say I’ll definitely be repurchasing once it finishes!

Thank you all for the read and please continue to support my amazing best friend!

Love, Tia

P.S. This is my first time blogging so go easy on me and hope you enjoyed my little review!

I got nominated for an award?!

A couple of days ago I opened my inbox to find that I have been nominated for the Liebster Award (an award for bloggers who have a following of less than 200)! Thank you SO MUCH to Ally from Allyadores. (check out her blog here http://allyadores.blogspot.co.uk/)

If you could only use one brand of makeup, which would it be?

I would have to say MAC - everything I have tried from them I've really liked, especially the Lip liner in Soar and Lipstick in Velvet Teddy!

                                               

Where is your dream holiday/vacation?

I would love to visit the US - especially New York and California. After watching tonnes of YouTube and Gossip Girl I feel like I need to make it my life goal to visit these places.

Tell us 3 great things about your life?

I have the best friends, I love where I am in terms of University at the moment and I'm studying a subject I love (Anatomy, Human and Developmental Biology) and starting this blog has been amazing!

What is your favourite movie?

I have MANY favourite movies,  but the best one that I have watched over and over again is Legally Blonde. #ElleWoodsForLife

What got you into blogging?

I have always been into makeup from when I was 15/16 years old and followed loads of blogs and YouTube channels, and I had tried my hand at blogging a few times but never really stuck to it. I always knew that I would eventually want to start a beauty blog and stick to it.

You can only wear three make up products on your face. What are they?

Definitely eyebrow pencil, foundation and bronzer.

What is your biggest goal in life?

To have a good balance in everything that I do and be able to accomplish all the things that I want to including travel, doing well in my studies and working on this blog.

What is your favourite childhood memory?

For some reason I can't remember too far back into my childhood, but I do remember when we took a family trip to Somerset where my aunt lives when I was little and stayed there for a week. I felt so accomplished when I went up the hills!

What is your pet peeve?

I cannot stand long toenails on myself, I just cannot deal with them.

If you could only buy clothes from one place on the high street, which would it be?

I would have to say Primark - they just have everything you can think of and a real variety of clothing for reasonable prices.

Thank you again to Ally for nominating me, and I would like to nominate:

Zelja's Beauty Notes - http://www.zeljasbeautynotes.wordpress.com

Laura Frances - http://www.laurafrancesxo.blogspot.co.uk/

The Beauty Look Book - http://www.thebeautylookbook.com/

Martaxo - http://martazachaxo.blogspot.co.uk/

Simple and Curious - http://simpleandcuriousliving.blogspot.co.uk/

My 10 questions for my nominees are:

What is your favourite beauty related product of all time and why?

What is your favourite song at the moment?

What is the last TV show you watched and which episode?

What food can you not stand?

Why did you start your blog?

What is your favourite place ever in the world?

Which country would you like to visit the most?

What is your everyday lip colour?

What is your favourite item of clothing?

What do you do to relax and just chill out?

Simple Skincare Review #2

For the second part to my Simple Skincare collection I wanted to talk about two products today - a toner and an exfoliating scrub. Again, all products are available in Boots.

£3.29, Boots

I use the Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner after I have taken off the main chunk of my makeup. I go in with a cotton wool ball and it helps to get the rest of my makeup off. It feels so refreshing on the skin and cleans the pores which is amazing. I've nearly finished this bottle up and need to get a new one.

£3.99, Boots

This Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Facial Scrub is very gentle so can be used everyday but I use it every other day at night. It works really well in cleaning pores and getting rid of all the dirt. It has witch hazel in it and so along with the face wash I spoke about in the previous Simple post, helps with its oil balancing properties over a long time.

That's part two of my Simple Skincare collection, hope you've enjoyed!

PS - I have just found out that I got nominated for the Liebster Award by Ally from allyadores (go check out her blog on http://allyadores.blogspot.co.uk/) So thank you so much for that Ally! I will be answering the ten questions in the next few day. 

Rimmel Wonderful Mascara Review

I have used this product in many posts and I thought I would share why I love it so much. It is £7.99 from Boots and Rimmel have also launched another version of this for the Wake Me Up range.

This Mascara has Argon Oil in it which has helped my lashes over a long time - I feel like my lashes have become more healthy looking and longer which is amazing.

The brush is made of plastic which may not be everyone's cup of tea (and I myself didn't like it initially) but I've found that it really works and separates out the lashes.

My lashes are quite long and I have found that the mascara does not particularly volumises my lashes but just helps to lengthen and separate them as well as give an nice curl.  For an everyday look I use just this mascara but for a more made up look a wear another mascara to get more volume.

All in all I really like this mascara and will be continuing to use it for a long time. Hope you've enjoyed.

September Favourites

With autumn coming in I've been using different products and I wanted to share my favourites this month. I've really been into golds and coppery colours.

Boots, £6.49

The first product I want to talk about is lips - I have been loving the Rimmel Apocolips Lip Velvet in the colour 307 Meteroic Matte. It's a deep red berry tone and looks amazing for this season. Every time I'm out I go for copper eyes and this lip colour, as I talked about in a previous post showing a quick and easy autumn look.

For the nails I have been into this gold colour that came in a set I received for a birthday. It's for the perfect shine to it and is quick and easy to apply.

Boots, £5.99

For a more neutral nail I have been loving  the Borjois So Laque Ultra Shine Nail Polish in Beige Glamour.

Superdrug, £4

On the eyes I have been using the MUA Heaven and Earth palette as it has many shades of shimmery golds and browns. The only problem is that it has no matte colours, but this palette is still amazing.

The Sephora Bronzing Powder is amazing and I have been loving it ever since I got it.

Boots, £20

Also for the face the Smashbox Water Primer has been a favourite this month, I have been using it as a setting spray and sets the face so well it looks seamless.

Boots, £21.99

For the final makeup bit - I have been loving the Real Techniques Core Collection, especially the contour brush and the buffing brush.

Finally, I also wanted to talk about one non makeup bit that I have been loving in the month of September - the TV shows Devious Maids. Can we just take a moment to appreciate how amazing it is - I absolutely love it! I started watching it a week ago and am already on season 3 (there are only 13 episodes per season).

It is about a group of maids that work for rich families and the plots are about the secrets and mysteries surrounding these families.

Those were my favourites this month, hope you've enjoyed!

Easy Autumn Look

As autumn is fast approaching I thought I would share a quick look that is appropriate for the season. It is based around a berry red lips and copper eyes.

To start off, apply your base and do your eyebrows as normal.

For the eye look, first sweep an orangey light brown colour on the crease. To get the perfect colour, try using a matte bronzer e.g. I chose the Sephora Bronzing Powder in light. This step does not have to be neat and this colour will allow more depth to be added and the warm tone really shouts autumn which is perfect for this look. You can also run this colour on the lower lashes.

MUA Undress Me Too Palette, Superdrug £4

Next, and this step should be a bit more precise, apply a shimmery copper colour all over the lids, I picked the copper colour on the MUA Undress Me Too palette which is the fourth colour of the top row.

To add even more depth I took the dark brown colour which is the fifth colour on the top row lightly and added it the outer corner of the eye to balance the look out. 

To finish off add a little dusting of a pale cream colour, which is the third colour on the top row, on the inner corner and brow bone to highlight and balance everything and tie the look together. 

Add eyeliner and mascara as normal to finish off the eyes. 

Rimmel Apocolips Lip Velvet in the colour 307 Meteroic Matte, Boots £6.49

For the lips I chose the Rimmel Apocolips Lip Velvet in the colour 307 Meteroic Matte which is a deep red with berry undertones.

This look is perfect for the evening and I just love it for the autumn months. Hope you've enjoyed!

Foundation Review: Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow

I have been wanting to try the Benefit Hello Flawless foundation for a long time so I had finally decided to order it a couple of months ago - I instantly fell in love. I have gotten so many compliments on my complexion every time I wear it. This foundation is up there with my EX1 Invisiwear Foundation (which I have also reviewed in a previous post) and I am always switching between the two.

I bought it off the Look Fantastic website, where it is priced at £26.50 and I bought it in the shade Toasted Beige which is a little darker than NC37, but suits me very well. 

There are 9 shades in total which include the following:

1.       Ivory (Believe in me)

2.       Ivory (I'm Pure 4 Sure)

3.       Champagne

4.       Honey

5.       Beige

6.       Toasted beige

7.       Amber

8.       Hazelnut

9.       Nutmeg

It is an oil free foundation and is described as having light to medium coverage which gives a "luminous and healthy" look to your skin, which I  definitely agree with. 

Application, Coverage and Finish

It is very easy to apply and blend in, the foundation is of medium consistency so it is not too runny. One pump of this gives an almost medium coverage and it is very buildable so does not look cakey on the skin. It feels light on the skin so looks and feels natural.

The foundation has a dewy finish so makes the skin look healthy and bright, as is described by Benefit. I have an oily T Zone and have tried it out both with and without powdering. I found that all I need to do is powder my T Zone so it does not go shiny throughout the day. I mostly leave the rest of the face powder free as I like the glowy look that it gives my skin.

I have worn it for up to 8 hours and it has lasted on my skin so the lasting power is very good and I fell like it looks better as the day goes on.

Packaging

I absolutely love the packaging on Benefit products and this foundation is no exception - it is so cute. They have included a pump on this which is perfect and it works so smoothly. The pump works so that when product is used, the remaining liquid in the bottle goes upwards so none of it gets wasted.   The packaging is plastic but is not cheap looking at all.

All in all I have no complaints for this product and would definitely repurchase it when my bottle is finished.

I hope this was useful and as always, hope you've enjoyed!

Back to School/ College/ University

It's that time again when students everywhere will be going back to or have already gone back to school. I myself will be starting University this month so I wanted to share the look that I will be going for. It is quick and easy look which is natural and perfect for those early mornings to look more put together.

L'Oreal Nude Magique Blur Cream in Medium, Boots £9.99 

The first thing I do after washing and moisturise my face is obviously prime my face, of which I am currently using the L'Oreal Nude Magique Blur Cream in medium.

Seventeen Brow Sculpting Pencil, Boots £2.89

After the skin is prepped I move onto the eyebrows to allow the primer to set, I use the Seventeen Brow Sculpting Pencil in and use light strokes to give them shape. 

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow in Toasted Beige, Boots £26.50

I then move onto foundation and I have been going for the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation in the colour Toasted Beige. I  feel like it's better to go for a water based foundation for everyday use. I only use one pump of this all over my face as I use it more to even out my skin tone as opposed to a flawless finish but I use a little more if I feel like I need it.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent, Boots £3.99

I also add a little of the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent to set everything in place but not too much as I still want it to look dewy and as close to natural skin as possible.

Bronzing has to be my favourite step and I have been using the Sephora Bronzing Powder in Light and suits my skin so well.

Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner, Boots £2.99

I then move onto the eyes, and sometimes I skip eyeliner, but if I don't I use the Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner.

Rimmel Wonderful Mascara, Boots £7.99

Mascara is also always a must for me and I've mentioned this product before, but it is honestly so good - the Rimmel Wonderful Mascara.

MUA Lipstick in the shade 11, Superdrug £1

To finish up the look I use a nude colour on the lips and I use the MUA Lipstick in the shade 11.

That's the look I usually go for, but remember you can wear whatever look you feel comfortable and confident with, hope you've enjoyed.