LOTD: Stellar

Finally it would seem Spring has sprung. You've taken your mighty fine time haven't you? On a beautifully warm and sunny day off I popped out sporting a bit of a coralicious look and I felt it was finally acceptable to wear a super bright lippie!

Base: Missha BB Cream in #21
Mascara: Clinique High Impact Mascara & Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara
Liner: Illamasqua Medium Pencil in Vow
Lips: Rimmel Apocalips in Stellar
Headband: Forever 21
Tee: George at Asda
Cardi: Dorothy Perkins

I was a tad wary of these as the ones I'd tested in store smelled awful - really chemically - but I think thats because they were testers. Thankfully mine smells quite nice! I was a bit disappointed with the colour range, even though there are quite a few. The only one that tickled my fancy was Stellar which really impressed me.

The bright hot coral-red colour certainly packs a hefty punch. It applies well but you certainly need to take your time because its a bit of a pain to fix up if you go wrong. I found it lasted about 2-3 hours before the gloss faded to leave a lovely stain on my lips.

♥ ♥ ♥

Have you tried the Apocalips range yet? Which colours would you recommend?

Review: MUA Gel Liners

It's been a while since I've picked up makeup from the high street. Nothing has really taken my fancy but when I saw the MUA stand stocked up I picked up a few things, and these gel liners were two whimsical purchases.

I'm so glad I bought them as I think they're a brilliant addition to my gel liner collection! I bought On Move, a gorgeous shimmery brown - think budget dupe for Bobbi Brown's offerings! - and Tribe, a beautifully stunning vibrant blue. Both are easy to apply thanks to the great creamy formula. Once applied these babies stay put, even on the waterline. I'm talking 12 hours without smudging, transfer or fading. I'm sure they would have lasted a lot longer given the chance but this is the longest I've worn them for. I found that they take some serious elbow grease to remove - even when using Bioderma Sebium H2O Micelle Solution!

I really like the packaging. At first I was wondering why there was such a long handle. I removed the label and found the top part unscrews to reveal a handy liner brush which makes these perfect for on the go or travelling.

The best thing about it? It's only £3.00. That's 62% cheaper than the Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Liners and a whopping 82% cheaper than the Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liners. Bit of a no-brainer really eh? If you only pick up one, get Tribe. It's absolutely gorgeous!

♥ ♥ ♥

Have you tried the MUA liners? Would you? Let me know what your favourite high street bargains are!

Products of the month: April 2013

Hi lovelies, sorry I haven't posted much lately, April has been a crazy busy month! I've got lots to share with you so posting should be back to normal soon :)

♥ MAC Cut A Caper Lipstick ♥

I am absolutely loving coral at the moment, and this is the perfect coral lippie for me! Cut A Caper is nice and bright but not in your face bright - a really wearable shade with a lovely Lustre formula. I'll be gutted when it's empty! Do you know of any dupes?

♥ MUA Gel Liner in Tribe ♥

I'm a bit like a magpie when it comes to liner. If its bright and sparkly I'll take it. I saw this and thought I'd give it a go because I'd yet to find a true bright blue gel liner. I'm so pleased I did because it's perfect. For just £2 you get a fantastic formula which applies smoothly, stays put and looks amazing.

♥ Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer ♥

Recently I made a Bobbi Brown order and as I know a lot of people swear by this I decided to give it a try. £18 for a concealer is perhaps a bit on the steep side but I genuinely do not think I'd repurchase any other concealer now. I got the shade Porcelain and it brightens up my under eye area perfectly and makes covering blemishes an absolute doddle.

♥ Avene Cleanance Emulsion Lotion ♥

In my hunt for the perfect product to mattify my skin and keep shine at bay, I stumbled across this in my recent Escentuals order. I use this after cleansing and it hydrates whilst helping to prevent shine. I apply my base straight after and it keeps it in place all day and shine is significantly reduced.

♥ ♥ ♥

Have you tried any of the above? Which products have you been loving lately?

Go Nude with Pur Minerals at Marks & Spencer

Just a quick post to let you know that Marks & Spencer are currently running a Beauty Discoveries event online until 10th April. If you buy any two items from the Pur Minerals range, you'll receive a free Go Nude Eye & Cheek Palette, RRP £20.00, which looks absolutely stunning.

The palette contains 6 shadows, a blush, bronzer and eyeliner and has a handy mirror which is perfect for on the go.

If you're looking for some purchase inspiration, you might like to read my reviews of the Pur Minerals Big Blink Mascara and the Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup Compact. 

♥ ♥ ♥

Let me know if you indulge, or if you've found any good beauty bargains lately!

French Pharmacy Skincare Brands

Last weekend I had a much needed lazy day. I decided to catch up on the ridiculous amount of unread blog posts I had stacking up. I stumbled across a post from Charlotte, letting me know in her ever so helpful way that the Escentual website had a discount throughout March on French pharmacy skincare brands. Conveniently I needed to stock up on some new skincare staples and I thought it would have been rude not to try something new. A few well informed clicks later and I had a lovely full shopping basket of Avene, Bioderma and Caudalie products. Ahem...

♥ Avene Cleanance Gel Soapless Cleanser ♥ 

As I wanted to try some products from Avene, I decided to go all out and get a complete set of skincare items rather than alternate between the few brands I'm using now. Avene's Cleanance range is formulated specifically for oily/blemish prone skin. I opted for this cleanser and so far, so good! It smells lovely - clean and fresh. It certainly does the job. Removes all traces of makeup and doesn't irritate my skin at all.

♥ Avene Cleanance Emulsion Lotion ♥

Lately I've been trying out a few different products that claim to reduce oil production and mattify skin. I apply this after cleansing and spritzing my face with Avene's Thermal Water. It mattifies my skin, providing a great base for makeup application, and helps my skin to stay shine-free all day.

♥ Avene Cleanance Lotion Toner ♥

I use this after cleansing and I love it because it instantly mattifies skin whilst also ensuring there are no traces of cleanser left on my face.

♥ Avene Cleanance Mask ♥
I haven't gotten around to trying this yet but it smells the same as the rest of the Cleanance range so I'm looking forward to trying it out. 

♥ Bioderma Sebium H2O Micellar Solution ♥

I know, I know, I must be the LAST person on the planet to try Bioderma but I've finally jumped on the bandwagon. I was a bit of a sceptical Susan before but blimey how wrong was I? This stuff is AMAZING. I use two Boots' large double sided cotton pads to cleanse my face of makeup and it removes everything. So impressed! I cleanse afterwards anyway but there's never anything left to remove. One thing that I find slightly off-putting is the scent. To start with it smells sort of clean, then once its on your face it has an odd sulphur smell. Attractive. I won't knock it though, it works!

♥ Caudalie Beauty Elixir ♥

I'm blaming this purchase solely on the blogosphere. Everyone and their cat has raved about this so I bought it. I use it after foundation to set it before powdering. The scent is just odd. Its a florally, minty, herbally type of scent. Odd. But it certainly helps makeup stay put. How do you use Caudalie's Beauty Elixir?

♥ ♥ ♥

Have you tried any of these brands? Share your thoughts, I'd love to know what you think :)