Taking a break

Exam "season" is here so unfortunately I won't be posting anything. I have 10 exams before I finish GCSE's forever and ever and ever and ever which is exciting! And I get to leave school a month early and have an extra long summer break. Yet before that, I need to study my ass off. So, I'll see you guys soon! :)

Suzanna

Top: Neutral Blushes

Tarte Amazonian Clay Exposed // Sleek Suede // Rimmel Santa Rose

Instead of reviewing individual products I thought I'd bunch em all together, especially as they are similar shades.

Normally I don't wear blush. On the rare occasions that I do however, I prefer to wear neutral shades - especially during the spring season.

My top three are Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush "Exposed" which is a great neutral, dark pink/brown shade. It's a little lighter than MAC's "Melba" and is a really lovely spring colour. Next is a Sleek "Suede" which I only got recently but am in love with (it was one of Nicole's fave blush shades of 2012 = perfect reason for buying it!) It's the darkest shade out of the three and has the best colour pay off I think. It's also buildable so you can create either a subtle or prominent look with it. Last, but not least, is Rimmel "Santa Rose". It's such a pretty colour that would look great on everyone. It doesn't have that much pigmentation but the summer it gives is so pretty. It's the lightest shade out of the trio and probably my favourite.

Suzanna

Avon Supershock Gel Eyeliners in Aquapop, Blackberry, Flash, Black and, Steel Review with Swatches

Left-right: Black // Blackberry // Aquapop // Steel // Flash

Avon are, in my opinion, best for eyeliners. They are so affordable and have the best pigmentation ever. The only problem is they run out so quickly (yet for £3-£6 I don't really mind repurchasing)!

The Supershock Gel Eyeliners are the best ones I've found from the vast range Avon offer. They are basically gel eyeliners in a pencil form, meaning they're so thick and really easy to apply. They don't drag or pull on the eye which makes them great for the upper-lash line. Nevertheless, they are still long lasting enough to wear on the water/tight line all day without budge.

Out of the 5 shades I own my favourite is "aquapop". It's super bright and pigmented and is gonna look great in the summer. The "black" one is my favourite all-time black eyeliner and "flash" is great for on the waterline to open the eyes up.

If you haven't tried them, you should. Xoxo

MAC Saint Germain

 

I think I've just found my new favourite lipstick. Ah, look how pretty!!!

MAC lipsticks are my weakness. There are so many other brands that dupe the same colours as MAC do, yet they just don't compare. The formula, the texture, the longevity (of most) and the smell of them are amazing.

The only thing that annoys me is the price. The first one I bought cost £11.50. Now, they are charging £14. It might not seem like a massive difference, yet over time, it adds up considerably. Anyway...

I picked up the ever-so-popular shade Saint Germain with summer soon approaching. I think this would look really good with a tan, or even muted down for everyday wear. It's super pigmented, better than most of my other ones and I just love it.

If you haven't tried it, you must!

Suzanna x

Naked Basics Palette by Urban Decay

Eyeshadow palettes are great so for many reasons. Travelling, space, saving money and unlimited looks  and options are just a few. As far as brands go, Urban Decay are one of my favourite for eyeshadows. All of the previous Naked palettes are amazing, so when I heard about the release of the Urban Decay Naked Basics I knew I had to get it.

In hindsight, it's kind of boring looking. White, matte, skin-tone colours with a couple dark shades. It's nothing exciting. But so, so useful. And it's surprising how many looks you can make from just six plain eyeshadows!

There are 6 shades in this palette:

- Venus: a soft, frosty off-white
- Foxy: cream bisque matte
- Walk of Shame: light, nude matte
- Naked 2: taupe matte
- Faint: warm, dusty brown matte
- Crave: dark black matte

All of which have great pigmentation and fit the descriptions perfectly. Crave is perfect for using as eyeliner or dragging along the lower lash line. The same with Faint, for a much softer colour along the lower lash time or through the outer v. Venus is the perfect inner corner highlight and Foxy and WOS can be used as base shadows or as a under the brow highlight. Naked 2 is a perfect subtle crease colour (and I think can also be used for the brows if it suits!). All in all, the shades are super versatile and can be used, like the box says, in every look, especially because they are matte.

I also love the size of the palette. It's roughly the size of a £10 note making it super easy for travelling and putting in your bag. The quality as well is really nice, the feel reminds me of NARS compacts - minus the getting dirty part! It also features a huge mirror inside, perfect for on the go.

I feel like I'm advertising this product to death right now! But seriously, it's really worth the money (only £20 can I just add) in my opinion and I know I'll be getting my moneys worth.

Suzanna x

Nivea Lip Butters

I love these things! Not just the texture or the fact they actually work, but the amazing flavours. You can buy them in caramel, strawberry, vanilla as well as the non-flavoured original. I went into Boots to pick up the original as I wasn't too keen on the flavoured ones. But I saw the caramel cream and, considering they are always sold out, I thought I'd buy it anyway.

And oh my goodness, it tastes like actually cake icing. Legit cake frosting. It's heavenly.

For around £3, you can't really go wrong. They do leave a slight white cast to the lips but, if your applying it before bed, who cares?!

Let's just hope they're not limited edition.

Suzanna x

Kate Moss Lasting Finish lipstick in 113

I love nude lipsticks. My favourite is Myth by MAC and I'm always looking for a new dupe so I don't have to keep spending, what seems like the ever increasing price tag of £14 each time it runs out. I saw this one by the Rimmel Kate Moss Lasting Finish collection in the shade 113. It's matte and has a slight peach undertone to it. I like the shade, it's nice. The only thing is the pigmentation isn't great. Especially for a nude lipstick I like them to be pretty opaque and this one unfortunately just isn't. For just under £5, I can't really complain. Guess I just gotta keep searching...

Suzanna x

Spring drugstore beauty haul

I love drugstore shopping! You can buy several things for the price of one high end product. It's good if you just want to trial a certain colour before splashing on a good quality version (despite most high street brands are on par with high end brands nowadays!). I thought I'd just show the stuff I bought from Boots and Superdrug as I haven't bought that much high end makeup this week.

I picked up a new foundation, L'Oreal True Match in the shade W3 for no reason. I'm perfactly happy with Revlon Colorstay and Esteé Lauder DW, but whatever. I got two Barry M Nail Paints, one in "Blueberry" and the other in "Strawberry" - I think you can guess which ones which :) As for lip products, I picked up three Revlon Matte Lipsticks in "Nude Attitude", "Smoked Peach" and "Stormy Pink" as Nicole Guerriero (aka my favourite YouTube guru) raves about them. I also got a Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer in "Nude Eclipse". I went into Superdrug and bought two of their blushes: "Suede" (another Nicole rave product) and "Pixie Pink". Boots need to start stocking Sleek, asap. I also got one of those Tangle Teasers, but forgot to photograph it.

Here are some more pictures!

Left-right: Suede and Pixie Pink

Left to right: Strawberry and Blueberry (obvs)

Have a great week,

Suzanna xoxo

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

I love a good under eye concealer - one thats lightweight yet still covers up dark circles. After seeing loads of people mention the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer (as well as the Collection one) I thought I'd try it :)

I got mine in the shade 02 nude which is the second lightest shade they offer; it's much less yellow toned than 01 ivory and a little darker. For me, it's the perfect shade for under the eyes. Now for the formula, it is quite thick so only a tiny bit is needed which results in quite a lot of left over product. It does cover dark circles pretty well, but it can settle into fine lines causing little creasing. Setting it with a light setting powder (Ben Nye Banana Powder ftw!) helps fade those fine lines well.

Overall, it's a pretty decent for the price of £6.99. I'm not sure about repurchasing though as there are loads more out there that I'm gonna try, with the Collection one being next.

Suzanna xoxo

PS. I've written several drafts which I'll post this week to compensate for no posts next month.
My favourite song this week has been: Better Days by Goo Goo Dolls - listen here!