Review: Rimmel Stay Blushed! Liquid Cheek Tint in Sunkissed Cherry and Pop of Pink

First of all, I must apologise for the sh!t photo quality. I have no idea what happened. I have two cameras; one for blogging and one for photography and I think it may be time to use my Canon for blogging purposes now. My trusty Nikon has passed it's sell by date. In my opinion, however, the swatches are pretty accurate.

Now for the review. I saw these Stay Blushed! Liquid Cheek Tints in Superdrug the other day and, with Rimmel being hands down by favourite drugstore makeup brand, and the fact you can never have enough blush products, I swiftly put them in my hypothetical basket. I have been using them on and off for the past three weeks and can safety say they are really great little products.

On offer are two shades, Sunkissed Cherry which is a vibrant coral, and Pop of Pink, a bright neutral light pink. You only need a little product (I'm talking less than a pea size) for both cheeks as the pigmentation, of both, is extremely high. The consistency is a little thick but blends out easily making it a swift, and non-messy, application. I recommend applying a little with your finger before thoroughly blending it out using a dense brush like the Real Techniques expert face brush. My favourite has to be Sunkissed Cherry. It's certainly the most unique offering and by far the most versatile and wearable for all occasions.

They are just £4.49 and can be found in Boots and Superdrug x x x

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation in True Ivory Review

Drugstore makeup is seriously on point recently. Every new product I've tried over the past few weeks I've really loved, including this new foundation from Rimmel that I picked it up as a part of a haul a few weeks back.

After trying this foundation via magazine samples I decided to purchase in full (and in the correct colour). I'm surprisingly really impressed with it. At first the whole "liquid mousse" aspect didn't appeal to me. It screamed cake face and just a nightmare to blend. However it is really nice. The coverage is medium to full and very build able. It will cover everything if you want it too which I love! Due to the thick consistency (it is a mousse, after all) make sure you blend well as it will become cakey and noticeable if you don't. I recommend using a dense stippling brush instead of your fingers or a sponge as it is quite thick. However it doesn't feel heavy or unbearable to wear - it's super lightweight.

If you have oily skin this will be perfect as it does mattify the skin completely. As someone with combination skin I didn't feel the need to set it with powder as it really does de-shine the face. The shine control aspect seems to work as natural oils weren't visible until the six hour mark.

Colour shades are limited however I do think if you mix various shades you'll get a good match. This foundation only costs £6.99 which is insanely cheap for such a good product. Drugstore foundations seem to be improving drastically recently. I haven't use my two high end favourites Esteé Lauder double wear or Laura Mercier silk creme in months. The dilemma of choosing which foundation to apply in the morning gets harder and harder...

Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple

When the Revlon Lip Butters were first released, they were loved and obsessed by literally everyone. Including myself. I bought seven shades in total, mostly of pink and nude hues, and loved them to death. Then, after the buzz had died down, I didn't reach for them. Only recently when I was in need of a glossy red lipstick from the drugstore (for a fancy dress party), that I looked in Boots and saw this shade appropriately named Candy Apple.

Not only a cute name, but also a gorgeous lip product. I'd describe it as a glossy medium toned blue-red. It's really moisturising and applies really easily which does however mean the lasting power isn't that great. Yet if reapplying frequently don't bother you, then most definitely give it a whirl x x x

Milani Baked Blush in Rose D'Oro Review, Swatches

Yet again, I am jealous of the brands American drugstores stock.

I reviewed another Milani Baked Blush (in the shade Luminoso) a few weeks back which I used constantly throughout the summer and fell in love with. Now that we're getting into autumn however, I definitely lean towards more darker, warmer blush shades. Enter, Rose D'Oro.

As with all Milani blushes, they are finally milled making application so easy. They blend seamlessly and can be built up for more intense finishes. Speaking of finishes, this blush reflects back just the right amount in the sun with no noticeable glitter or crazy shimmer which I love. This shade in particular reminds me of MAC Springsheen blush, just a lot cheaper.

It's such a gorgeous shade that will suit all skin tones. I'm so annoyed you can't get these easily in the UK.

Collection Cream Puffs in Powder Puff and Cotton Candy Review and Swatches

They remind me of the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams, yet just the UK drugstore version. 

I bought these Collection Cream Puffs in Boots the other day for no apparent reason other than the fact they were £2.99 and came in some pretty shades. I picked up two: Powder Puff (a light beige) and Cotton Candy (muted rose/pink) as they seemed like the shades I'd mostly likely wear.

"Powder Puff" is a light beige toned nude. I think this shade will work better on fair to light skin tones as it does blend in with my skin colour at the minute. Nevertheless, swatched it is a really lovely nude colour. You do have to apply a few layers to actually see the colour which is a shame.

"Cotton Candy" is a muted rose/pink shade that will work on all skin tones. It's much more pigmented than the other shade as you only need one layer to achieve the colour swatched above.

My only problem with these products is the their lasting power - it's terrible. You can't eat, drink, speak much without the colour fading or disappearing all together. It's a shame because they were really nice colours, but you'd have to reapply them all the time if you want it to last all day.

September Favourites: Makeup, A/W Fashion, Music and Randoms!

Firstly, I can't believe it's October 1st. It's literally my favourite month with midterm coming up then halloween and my birthday. This year has gone so insanely fast. Secondly, writing favourites posts are always fun. Especially when I have products I've been truly loving. This month I have several beauty favourites as well my autumn/winter fashion picks, music obsessions and just some general favourites so, let's get started...

 Let me first of start by apologising that two of my seven favourites aren't available in the UK. I'm sorry.

You're probably sick of me talking about this, but it deserves another mention - Covergirl Lash Blast Volume mascara. This has definitely become a holy grail mascara of mine - it creates length, volume giving full looking lashes without the clumpy appearance. Please come to the UK.

Another favourite that needs to be bought over to the UK are the Wet n Wild Lip Colors. So cheap, yet so pigmented and come in the best variety of colours, from nudes to pinks to reds. I can't get enough of the four I own, they're so good. My current favourite has been "Spotlight Red", a bright, blue based red. I can see this being a constant favourite when we get into the winter season. It's very comparable to Russian Red by MAC, but notably cheaper...

Quarry eyeshadow by MAC is one of those shades that looks incredibly boring in the pan, but a must have nonetheless. It's the perfect transition, and crease, colour - especially if you have brown eyes as it has a slight purple undertone to it. I love using this shade smudged along the lower lash line to give warmth and some colour. It's more subtle that a black or brown, yet still really pretty for an everyday look.

My foundation favourite this month has been L'Oreal Lumi Magique (I have shade W3). I can't gush about it enough, click here for my full review for my full thoughts and stuff.

Rediscovering past obsessions is always nice. I used to use the NARS Powder Foundation all the damn time when I first bought it. Then it kind of got forgotten about. Now I've been reaching for it more, I remember how much I love using it. It's perfect to use either on top of liquid foundation to set everything and give extra coverage, or to use on it's own. For what it is, it's lightweight and doesn't look cakey. Pricey, but 100% worth it.

Gotta include Baby Lips! I love the shade Pink Punch, it smells heavenly and looks so nice on; really subtle.

Nordic rose cardigan: Urban Outfitters
Floral print kimono: Miss Guided
Burgundy and black camis: Topshop
Animal print cropped jumper: Urban Outfitters
High waisted jeans: New Look

Deciding my favourite clothing items of the month is easy: cropped jumpers, high waisted jeans, kimonos, plain cami tops and oversized cardigans.

Autumn weather in England is extremely bipolar; one minute it's raining and freezing, then the next it's warm and you just wanna take all your clothes off! For this I love wearing layers. I start with just a plain cami - easy to wear and come in so many colours. Then I throw on a baggy, oversized cardigan. I've been loving the ones from Urban Outfitters; they're thick, warm and some in some really lovely patterns. I then just throw on either high waisted shorts (plus tights!), or opt for some high waisted jeans. My most used are by New Look, especially the black and dark navy ones.

When the weather is more on the warm side, I've been really into kimonos. Miss Guided offers some really affordable yet super flattering varieties, plus I've seem them crop up on Asos and in stores. Pictured above is my favourite, black with green, blue and cream coloured flowers. I also love wearing cropped jumpers as they look amazing with high waisted jeans/shorts. Again, Urban Outfitters is the place to look for them.

I'm thinking about doing more posts dedicated to seasonal fashion picks. What do you think?







23 by Mike Will Made-It
It's probably the most catchiest song ever. The day I bought it on iTunes I played it 32 times in a row, yep, that addictive. It's featuring Miley Cyrus (who I love, but may not be everyones cup of tea), Wiz Khalifa and some person who I've never heard of in the likes of Juicy J. Seriously, what kind of name is that?

Wings by Birdy
This is such a cute, melancholic song that you need to listen to if you haven't already. Birdy has such a gorgeous voice for a 17 year old, and I love the video for this song too, it's very medieval.

Diana by One Direction
This song was leaked a few weeks back so I pray that you can still find it somewhere online. If not, then mark November 25th in your diary as thats the release of their new album. Anyway, the song Diana is supposed to be written for the fans who have suffered from depression or suicide. When you listen to the words it's really quite sad, but the song as a whole is really catchy and has some great hooks in it. Love!

Burn by Ellie Goulding
Yeah it's an old song, but I've been going through an Ellie phase and this is one of my definite favourites of hers. It's totally different to my regular style of music (to be honest, all of these songs I've mentioned are completely polar opposite to my usual style which is alternative/rock) but I just find myself listening to this all the time!

Yay for the random favourites!

First is iOS7 (for all you Apple users). At first I thought it was really childish but now I actually quite like it. It's simple to use and, I know it's stupid, but I love how the background colour is incorporated into the button colour and tab background, if you know what I mean (see pic!). And have you all seen the new iPhone in gold? *wants*

This past month the X Factor has been my guilty pleasure, it's pretty embarrassing. Well it's not as bad as my mum who downloaded the bloody app on her iPad. Nevertheless, I always watch on the weekends when I can. Team Shaz!

Ok a weird favourite this month is a YouTube channel that you've *probably* all heard of called SourceFed. A group of super likeable hosts post five videos a day each with current news stories. Yeah it may sound boring, but they present them with humour but actually convey important messages to keep us up to date with current affairs. They're short videos (3 mins on average) which make them perfect to quickly view if you don't have enough time to sit down and watch the full length news programmes.

Favourites completed! I really enjoyed writing this months post. Hope you did, too. Have an amazing October :)

PS, who's already downloaded their "countdown to Christmas" phone app? I have! 91 days to go...

theBalm Frat Boy Blush Review

When buying the Mary Lou Manizer highlighting powder, which you can read me raving about here, I also added the Frat Boy blush to my basket. I read a Temptalia review which gave it a really high "glossover" (her rating system, if you didn't know) so thought why not. I like blush. The more the merrier.

First impressions of the product was that I like the packaging. It's super thin and is made of a thick cardboard making it fairly lightweight and easy to transport around.

I couldn't actually find any "official" description by theBalm of this colour so I'll give you my own: it's a muted coral/light pink with a satin finish. There isn't any glitter or shimmer specs in the actual pan yet when you apply it to the checks, it does reflect nicely in the sun. The colour does appear much lighter when you apply it - it's more pink toned rather than coral. But you can layer it up to create that intense coral shade which you see in the pan. 

The blush has a really nice consistency - it's easy to blend and, like I said, can be layered for different intensities. It's also surprisingly pigmented for a light shade. The swatch below was just one swipe.

I am really impressed with this blush. As the pigmented is so good, I do think this blush is one of those that can suit practically all skin tones from fair to dark. On lighter skin tones, a light sweep of the product can create a light, doll pink colour whilst on more tan to darker skin tones, a more intense build up of colour can create a lovely coral shade that is still visible yet natural looking. It do think it is worth the £16 and it has definitely, along with the highlighter, got me interested in theBalm products. It's annoying you can only get it online, though!

Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream Review

Was there any point of me trying yet another BB cream? Nothing will compare to my favourite one by Garnier so, theoretically, I'm just waisting time (and money) trying new ones.

But. I was in America and saw this and thought, "oh, Olay are a good skincare brand" and somewhere on the lines of "maybe it's better than the Garnier one!" So I bought it. What a mistake.

I really don't understand what the purpose of this product is. Does it provide any coverage? No, not even remotely. Does it perfect the skin? To be fair, nothing will perfect the skin realistically but still, no. Does it even feel lightweight and actually bearable to wear? No, it felt sticky and irritable. There's no point, except for the "SPF 15" aspect for which I have a proper sunscreen for that.

So are there any positives. Well, the bottle itself is bloody massive (we're taking 20cm here people) which is great for the price. And if you actually like the product. Which I don't, so...

Other than that, I shall be either giving it to my mother who doesn't even care for makeup who will probably love it, or it shall sit nicely in the bin. Final conclusion: nothing beats Garnier!

MAC Creme Cup Lipstick

MAC lipsticks are definitely one of my favourites. I think the different formulas are a great idea and, despite the price tag creeping up every damn year, they are worth the £15 in my opinion. Out of all the ones I own (which let's be honest, are all nude and pink hues), the "cremesheen" formula is by far my favourite. Granted, they don't last as long but the colour pay off is still exceptional and they feel so moisturising compared to say the matte formula. They also give such a lovely glossy finish.

The newest edition to my cremesheen lipsticks is probably the most popular shade (second to Hue, of course). It's the one you're advised to buy when you're just getting into MAC lipsticks - Creme Cup.

It's described as a light, blue tone pink - a hybrid of a muted pink with a nude undertone. Not being a pale, life-less shade makes it suitable for virtually all skin colours. It has a really nice glossy finish, hence why it's a cremesheen formula. I really do like it.

It the perfect everyday lipstick as it's a mix of the popular hues which also makes it perfect all ages and all skin types.

Just looking at my other lipsticks I can definitely see a few drugstore dupes including Wet n Wild Think Pink (click link for swatches) and Maybelline Pink Please. Getting started into MAC lipsticks? Yeah, it's a great colour. Wanting a similar shade and perhaps are looking for a cheaper alternative? Look in the drugstore.

I can't complain though. The quality is great and it's a lovely hue. Have a great day :)

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso Review

This was the product I was most keen to buy as it has literally been raved by everyone and I am partialy known to go with the hype. This Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso can be described as a light coral with peach undertones. It has a little shimmer that reflects in the light and aims to create a fresh, healthy glow.

The texture of this blush is extremely lightweight and smooth which makes for an easy apply and blending process. And also means you don't need much to create a subtle glow. Layering it up however deepens the peach undertone to flatter almost all skin tones. This shade in particular is very luminous and brightens up the complexion instantly creating a healthy glow.

I'm super impressed with this shade and is perfect to compliment a tan. I've found that this blush is a pretty close dupe for both NARS Orgasm and MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural in Stereo Rose (limited edition). Just 10x cheaper!

Whilst away I also picked up another Milani blush which I'll probably review in the near future. Have a great day :)

Wet n Wild Mega Last Lipsticks Review

Ages ago I was read a blogpost by Fleur where she raved about these so called lipsticks only available the states. Thankfully I rediscovered said post before going on holiday and noted down the name.

They are the Wet n Wild Mega Last Lip Colors. They come in an array of colours and I'm really happy with the four I chose.

        Bare It All: a medium nude/beige
        Stoplight Red: bright, blue based red
        Think Pink: light, pink toned nude
        Dollhouse Pink: bright (almost neon!), blue based pink

As far as pigmentation they are definitely one of the most pigmented lip products I've tried. Using a lip brush can help create a more sheer finish compared to applying it from the tube. They are easy to apply and work with and, like I just said, a lip brush can also help apply the darker colours (the reds) more precisely. One complaint: they are fairly drying. And the packaging is awful. I won't rant too much about the packaging however as they are under $2, but the texture does feel drying on. A little lip balm before helps and also topping it off with a (clear) lipgloss after.

From the colours I can also see many MAC dupes.

        Bare It All is similar to Honeylove
        Stoplight Red is similar to Red
        Think Pink is similar to Shy Girl
        Dollhouse Pink is similar to Pink Nouveau

My favourite shade has to be Think Pink as it's super wearable and the perfect mix of nude and pink. It paired with Creme D'Nude over the top and this lipgloss in Snow Pink has been my go-to this month.

Next time I'm in the states I'll definitely pick up some more shades as they are just great in everyway. I'm jealous of you Americans, $1.99 is unfair! (Happy September, by the way).

Maybelline Baby Lips

They have arrived! The Maybelline Baby Lips are probably the most hyped up lip balms ever and I couldn't wait to try them. I picked these up when I was in America as they are much easier to find than where I live - plus the excited got to me when I first saw the stand in Rite Aid.

Out of the six available shades I picked up five of them:

          Hydrate: clear with a lemon scent, SPF 20
          Mint Fresh: clear with a mint scent, SPF 20
          Pink Punch: blue-based pink with a passion fruit scent
          Cherry Me: darker warm pink with a cherry scent
          Peach Kiss: sheer nude with a peach scent

The only one I didn't get was Intense (clear with a cherry almond scent, SPF 20) simply because I didn't want yet another clear one. Plus I'm not too keen on cherry scents!

I really do like these - especially the three coloured ones. As you can see from the swatches, all three have great pigmentation and appear as vibrant on the lips as they go when swatched. For a lip balm it's really impressive. All five smell exactly as described and don't smell at all fake.

And surprisingly, I adore the packaging! It's bold, bright and fun to look at :)

For £2.99 I really do recommend these. Cherry Me, Pink Punch and Peach Kiss are hands down the winners as the colours are to die for - yet the clear ones are great for moisturising the lips. Plus the smells are amazing.

PS. Happy September!

Bourjois 3 for 2 Mini Haul

I was in Boots the other day and there were so many offers on various brands. I took advantage of two of them: 2 for £14 on L'Oreal and 3 for 2 on Bourjois. The L'Oreal items were just repurchases (True Match foundation and False Lash Telescopic mascara) so I thought I'd share the most exciting Bourjois items.

First item on my list was the Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayons. They come in four shades and I went for "Peach on the Beach" a coral/peach. I think I'm gonna have to go back and buy the other three, they're so nice!

Another product that's been around for a long time are the Bourjois Cream Blushes which are the cutest little things ever! They also are only available in four shades and I went for "02 Healthy Glow" which is similar to the lip crayon when I look at the swatches! It's such a lovely shade that I think will look great on pale skin tones right up to medium/tan skin.

You can't go wrong with eyeliner. I've nearly finished my favourite brown eyeliner (MAC Powerpoint Eye Pencil in Stubborn Brown) so I thought I'd try the Bourjois Liner Stylo in 42 Brun before getting the MAC one again. It's got a little glitter in it so I think I'll just be using this on my lower lash line instead of waterline. It's really pigmented and doesn't drag whatsoever.

I'm really happy with my purchases - especially the lip crayons! Xoxo

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L'Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Caramel Comfort Review and Swatches

I picked this up ages ago and forgot to review it! When I saw ages I literally mean last October.

The L'Oreal Colour Riche Balms are available in 8 shades each of which carry the sent of it's particular name. I picked up "Caramel Comfort" which does in fact smell like sweet caramel - it's really nice.

Colour Riche Balms are tinted lip balms and, to be honest, are actually quite nice. The colour of the one I picked up is a soft peach/nude shade - it is sheer but it is a lip balm after all. The colour doesn't appear as pigmented on the lips as the swatches below show, however it does give shine and a glossy finish. The colour doesn't last that long but the hydration sure does so their "8 full hours of continuous hydration" claim isn't totally wrong.


Overall, they are nice lip products but I'm not too keen on the "lip balm/colour" hybrid. I'd rather just stick to a lipstick over a lip balm, if you get me! Yet for what they are, I'd definitely recommend you give them a go, especially the berry shades.

Unfortunately they're only available in the States so if you live there you can them at any drugstore for $5.99. Xoxo

Scheduled post

Nivea Daily Essentials Beautifying Moisturiser BB Cream Review

After finding my new favourite BB cream in the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfection, I don't know why but I though I'd try another. The one I picked up is the Nivea 5 in 1 Beautifying Moisturiser in the shade light. Nivea are a well known skin/body care brand so I was excited to try it...

Well, the word "disappointed" is a huge understatement, I'm afraid.

I've learnt with past experience that BB creams tend to run on the darker side so going with the light shade was a good choice. It does appear dark but it does blend out so it can work for lighter skin tones. At the moment I'm an NC25 and it did work.

The consistency is really thick and feels uncomfortable to wear. The swatches below exemplify the thickness. It has quite a strong fragrance smell which, for me, is a little overpowering. Normally with BB creams the undertone is fairly neutral to fit both pink and yellow skin types, however with this one is leans more pink which, for me, is an issue. When swatched I couldn't notice it but when applied to my face it definitely doesn't match. Considering how thick the texture is, it didn't cover up anything nor even or correct. Coverage: poor. Additionally it looked a little muddy and very noticeable that I was wearing something despite the illuminating and moisturising claims.

Here's how it swatched. It does blend out well and you only need a little. It does look a little reflective  on my hand but the same finish didn't apply on the face.

Honestly, I wanted to remove it as soon as I put it on. It may work for some people but for me it was not good - I 100% prefer and recommend the Garnier Skin Perfector BB Cream instead. Xoxo 

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream Review & Swatches

After trialing and testing this product for over three weeks in both low temperatures as well as 41 degree celsius heat, I think I'm ready to write my honest review on the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream.

When I first heard of the BB cream (and now CC cream!) craze I wasn't that bothered. My skin is far from perfect so why would I want a product that covers barely anything when I could just wear a full coverage foundation?!

Yet I didn't want to wear foundation on holiday and in Dubai, with the middle eastern heat reaching heights of 43 degrees, I certainty didn't want my makeup sliding off. So into Boots I went and picked up the cheapest (yes I know, I wasn't feeling optimistic that day) BB cream I could find.

The Garnier Skin Perfection BB Cream says it:

          - Immediately perfects
          - Mattifies
          - Reduces the appearance of imperfections
          - Hydrates
          - Feels lightweight
          - Evens skin tone
          - Gives a healthy glow
          - Protects with SPF 20

For someone who is used to full coverage foundation, I actually think the coverage of this BB cream is pretty decent. It certainty blurs the appearance of blemishes and corrected the redness I had from stupidly being burnt. I did use concealer as well under the eyes but I didn't bother during the day for the rest of my face. You can even build a fuller coverage by just adding another layer - you may be thinking "cake face!" yet it doesn't create that with this product which is why I like it so much.

It also blends super easily which you can see below...



It didn't really mattify my skin that much in Dubai; I still had to use powder every few hours but at home in England I didn't have to use powder at all. As for hydration? Not really, it was lightweight but didn't feel cooling or hydrating so I don't know what they mean by being 'hydrating' the skin. But I don't really expect any makeup product to be hydrating anyway!

I'm truly surprised at how well it lasted in Dubai. I only wore makeup for dinner and going out and on both occasions it was really good and lasted well.

As for the other claims such as gives a "healthy glow" and "evens skin tone", I definitely agree. I'm super happy with this product and, while my skin has been pretty good recently *touch wood*, I have been using it as a replacement for Estee Lauder DW and L'Oreal True Match for an everyday wear.

My only critisisms!

• I don't particularly like the scent, but you do get used to it and it soon disappears.
• The colour range is horrendous. I believe there are only two shade variations, light and medium. I have mine in light which I think can easily match an NC20/NC25 and may struggle to work on lighter skin tones. I hope they expand a little in the future.

I definitely recommend you try it out even if you're a little apprehensive about BB creams or lighter coverage bases in general - you may be surprised like I was. It's a million times better than the original Garnier BB cream which was awful so, if you hated that, try this version instead! Check out the Boots website as they're normally on offer. Xoxo

Pink Pout

In the summer it's either no lip products, or pink lip products.

Nudes are my fave but they can be boring especially on holiday, so here's a round up of all my favourite pink lip products.

Top: Bronzers

L-R: Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder in 52, NARS Laguna, Benefit Hoola, Elf Contouring Bush and Bronzer in Antigua

The four pictured are my favourite bronzers that I own; they each have slightly different undertones, finishes and textures which makes them perfect for when choosing a certain look.

Up first is NARS Laguna which, as you can see, is my most loved and most used bronzer. It has a slightly orange undertone which is noticeable next to more true browns such as Benefit (see swatches) yet nevertheless is still a really lovely shade and perfect for an every day use. You do need a light hand when applying it though as too much can look a little muddy.

Next is probably my favourite and most versatile bronzer and that is Benefit Hoola. It can be used not only as a bronzer and for adding warmth around the face but also for contouring. It's a light brown, matte shade which makes it perfect for contouring the face as there are no shimmers and it doesn't go muddy when it's built up. If you haven't tried this one you must!

The other two are drugstore bronzers which are surprisingly good. I always stand by the saying "you get what you pay for" which basically means the more you pay the better quality. Yet, why these two may not be as good as the NARS and Benefit, they are still decent in application and get the job done! The Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder in the shade 52 has a very strong orange undertone which means too much can look muddy looking. However this bronzer is really good for adding a slight warmth around the face. There are some shimmers in it but it's hardly noticeable once applied, if anything it makes the bronzer a little more wearable. My only issue that is isnt that pigmented, so I do have to keep reapplying more layers or I just use another one on top.

Lastly we have the bronzer from the Elf Contouring and Blush kit in Antigua. From the swatches you can see it's extremely dark compared to my skin tone and it's the most pigmented out of all four. It does have quite a lot of shimmer and glitter in which makes it a little hard to wear and also has a strong warm orange undertone. However for nights out this is perfect as it is noticeable and emphasis your bone structures insanely well. This bronzer would be perfect for those with a tan or a much deeper skin tone as it would work more effortlessly. For only a couple pounds you can't go wrong, and you get a barbie pink blush too!

Recommendations:

- If you have fair/medium skin with warm undertones, try Benefit Hoola

- If you have fair/medium skin with cool undertones, try Bourjois Delice de Poudre in 51 (fair) and 52 (medium)

- If you have medium/tan skin with cool/warm undertones, try NARS Laguna (or Casino for deeper skin tones)

- If you have dark skin with warm/cool undertones, try the Elf Contouring and Blush Kit in Antigua

Hope this was somewhat useful.

xx

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

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