MAC See Sheer Lipstick

Whilst in Birmingham yesterday handing in some CVs in, I found myself at the MAC counter as usual. This time however I felt it was the right time to pop my lipstick cherry. I've never been a massive fan of having anything but a lip balm on my lips but recently I've been brave and pushed myself to try new products. I've been loving bold lips, especially vampy colours like plum and deep reds. However, I don't have any subtle colours which are suitable for daytime wear.

I don't have the best history in choosing these sort of colours, being someone who wears quite a heavy base, I find nudes can really wash me out so I tend to stay away from them. I'm also not a huge fan of paler pink shades, if I go pink I like to keep it dark and defined. This one caught my eye, not a shade I had heard of before so I thought I'd give it a whirl. MAC lipsticks have recently gone up to £15 which I do think is a tad pricey, but if they are amazing as they are hyped up to be, the price tag shouldn't be an issue.

See Sheer is described by MAC as a grapefruit pink, however in it's tube it appears more of a coral/burnt orange colour. It's in a lustre finish which is good as I wanted something quite creamy and moisturising on the lips during the daytime as matte would show off a multitude of lip sins. Lustre finish is described as being semi-sheer and a wet look on the lips. I really love the bullet shape of the MAC lipsticks and the tube itself is pretty durable. This may sound weird but it also smells really good too, sort of vanilla like. Some cheaper lipsticks can smell pretty terrible and industrial.

It lives down to it's full description of lustre. It goes on quite sheer so you do need to build it up to achieve this finish. It's very glossy like and moisturising on the lips, however it did show up some slight dry areas so a little prep is advised before application. I'm really impressed by the colour, I can see why it gets overlooked in it's tube as it does look quite dark and unwearable. On the lips it pays off as a peachy/coral shade which would go great with a matching blush for a spring/summer everyday look. I'm glad I gambled on this colour and I will be getting my wear out of it, I can't see what else MAC has to offer!

Soap & Glory Flake Away™

Soap & Glory are my main go to brand for all my body care needs. Although they aren't as cheap as other drugstore brands, the extra pennies are always worth the incredible quality and results you get from using their products. Recently becoming a regular fake tanner, exfoliation is essential prep in order to get a streak free tan. A good exfoliater is essential to scrub away those dead skin cells and encourage cell renewal to the skins surface.

Soap & Glory Flake Away™ contains sea salt a great natural skin exfoliater, as well as moisturisers such as grapeseed and almond oils to leave the skin soft and silky. It has an oily, thick consistency with a nice ratio of particles which are good in size don't feel too abrasive on the skin. They also dissolve as you rub them into the skin. The scent is the brands signature scent, a mix of musk and perfume with hints of mandarin. 

It leaves the skin soft and scrubbed without irritation. The smell lingers on the skin throughout the day and can be enhancing with a matching body butter from the brand. It moisturises the skin but doesn't leave it feeling greasy, although if your skin leans towards the drier side, it wouldn't be wise to skip a moisturiser. To enhance it's exfoliating properties you can use it alongside some exfoliation gloves. Used once a week and you will certainly see and feel and improvement.

Barry M Jewel Nail Paint in Ruby Glitter

Barry M are a favourite when it comes to my choice in nail varnish, their colour range as well as appealing price tag make them very favourable amongst nail fanatics. Recently, they've been super great at bringing out new editions to their collection including glitters, textures and top coats. Wanting to jazz my nails up as opposed to using plain colour, I've been turning to their more recent of glitter collections, the Jewel nail paints. I thought I'd do a little review on one of the more unusual nail paints in this collection - Ruby Glitter. 

It was a pain to get hold of in the first place, I managed to collect all the Jewel collection apart from Ruby Glitter which I had to order into my local Boots store. They retails for £2.99 which is cheap as chips for the quality of the polish. The polish itself is a mixture of shiny ruby and matte black hologram glitters with tiny black flecks suspended in a clear varnish. It can be applied as a top coat to a plain varnish or layered up on it's own. In the picture I've showed the results with three coats alone.

I think the combination of glitters in this polish is quite unusual, I haven't seen any other red and black combinations on the market. I think it would look even better as a top coat on a charcoal grey base polish. The application is fairly easy although you do need to manipulate the glitter around a bit so it's evenly spread. As it is a clear varnish, it dries pretty quickly which makes it time efficient to apply extra coats onto. I think this polish would work perfect for Halloween style nails. However, with all glitter polishes it can be a nightmare to get off and requires a fair amount of soaking.

Lush Space Girl Bath Bomb

Those nights where you just want a long, relaxing bath away from any hair maintenance or exfoliation. A few candles lit, a nice glass of wine/mug of chocolate and a bath bomb are all you need. I've always been a massive fan of Lush products, their ethics of anti-animal testing and handmade products mean you don't mind shelling out a few extra pennies for good quality products which won't contain any nasties that might irritate your skin.

Space Girl is a flying saucer spaced bomb which is violet in colour and covered in a pinky red glitter. It retails for £2.10 which is at the lower end of Lush's bath bomb pricing. So what does this little bomb contain may you ask? It's main ingredients include grapefruit oil, almond oil and citric acid which gives it it's fruity but not overpowering scent. In fact, it reminds me of those Palma Voilet sweets you used to get as a kid, damn those things smelt good.

When dropped into the bath it fizzles out into a vortex of lavender coloured glitter. The aroma hits your nostrils and relaxes you immediately. It also contains popping candy so if your brave enough to stick your head under, you'll hear some pretty funky noises. It is one of my favourite bath bombs and is definitely worthy of it's price tag. I'm keen to try others but I always end up leaving Lush with this little beauty.

Revlon ColorBurst™ Lip Butters

Recently I've been getting into using lip products on a more regular basis. I'm someone who shys away from lip colours as I find the precision in applying them and having to top them up an effort. I'm usually a lip balm and go kind of gal. However, when I came across the Revlon ColorBurst™ Lip Butters, I thought they'd be a good way to ease myself into using some colour without committing to something so fiddly.

The packaging is very Chanel-esqe with the quilted like lids. They are very compact and plastic which means they're great to pop in your handbag should you need to reapply throughout the day. 

The colour range is fantastic, I opted for the AW shades as they were very pink toned which is my main lip colour of choice. The formula is between a lipstick and a lip balm, They are very pigmented although some shades apply more sheer than others, however they are very build-able. They are very moisturising and don't show up too many lip sins so prep doesn't need to be too gruelling. They also don't require too much precision, although they are highly pigmented, you don't need to use a liner. You can use your finger to blend them out to reduce the level of shine and colour.

(Left to Right: Raspberry Pie, Macaroon, Berry Smoothie)

I really love these products and will probably invest in some more colours. They make great everyday lip colours although they do need topping up every now and then due to their creamy consistency which isn't as long wearing as a matte lip product. They can feel slightly sticky on the lips but no more than your average lipgloss. The darker shades can also bleed out slightly around the lip line but as long as you don't go too crazy and over apply then this shouldn't be an issue.

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

I'm a massive fan of Urban Decay, especially their eye shadows. I had wanted a Naked palette for ages, I use more neutral colours on my eyelids for day and evening wear. With the Naked, Naked 2 and Naked Basics around, it's hard to know which one to go for. I thought I'd do a little review on the Naked 2, my favourite of the palettes.

First of all, the packaging is very sleek. As an upgrade on the original Naked packaging they've gone for a tin case as opposed to card and fabric. I prefer this as it's much easier to keep clean and doesn't get so grubby. It's also a lot more sturdy than the original which makes it easy to transport, however it's still not quite small enough to fit in my make-up bag.

The palette hosts 12 eye shadows as well as a double sided brush and a large mirror. The mirror is very useful for on the go application although I don't tend to use it much. The brush is fully synthetic and doesn't work too great at holding the shadows on the hairs, I find my MAC natural bristle brushes catch onto the shadow much better and blend well leaving a more seamless finish. The shadows are all highly pigmented and apply well. There are a range of neutral shades from mattes to shimmers to glitters.

(Left to Right: Chopper, Bootycall, Half Baked, Foxy)

(Left to Right: Pistol, Suspect, Snakebite, Tease)

(Left to Right: Blackout, Busted, YDK, Verve)

Over the last year I've owned this palette I've used it pretty much everyday. I tend to use Foxy as a base colour and Tease to contour in the eye socket for an everyday look. I haven't experimented much with evening looks but there is a great selection and I'll continue to use the palette regularly. The only dislike is that you can get a lot of fallout and invested in a good eye primer such as the Urban Decay Primer Potion is a good call.

The palette retails for around £36 and I think it's worth every penny. I'm definitely considering invested in the Naked Basics palette as it's far more compact and hosts matte only shades which is my personal preference. However, the Naked 2 is a delight to use and definitely one of the best neutral palettes on the market.

Yves Saint Laurent Shocking Mascara

I thought I'd do a small review on one of my favourite high end mascaras. Yves Saint Laurent offer a range of different mascaras to suit most peoples needs, their original Effet Faux Clis to their new Babydoll version. However, the Shocking has always been my favourite as it's high impact and gives great results with just one coat.

First of all, you just have to admire the sheer glamour of the packaging of this product. YSL never fail to impress with their signature luxury gold tubes and emboss logo, the Shocking writing being the main highlight sets its apart from other mascaras in their portfolio. The packaging maybe shouldn't affect how you feel about the actual results of a product but when you're spending £23 on a mascara, this sort of well made packaging is expected.

The brush itself is made from short plastic bristles in a variety of sizes. I personally prefer plastic bristles so it's already a winner for me in this department. The formula is very thick and can be quite drying so it can flake slightly if you over do it. It is definitely more a evening wear type of mascara as it gives a very dramatic finish and probably isn't for those who fear some slight clumping, although I think this adds to the overall finish.

These are the results! I tend to apply two coats for a more dramatic finish as big lashes are a must for me, although one coat works just fine if you want a more subtle look. The formula can be quite messy so more time and attention is required in order to get clean results although having a cotton bud on hand doesn't hurt whilst getting used to it.

It doesn't feel heavy and uncomfortable on the lashes and removal is fairly easy with a good eye make-up remover solution. My lashes look fantastic and definitely think it's worth the price tag although to a poor student such as myself, the product is more of a treat than a need.