The In-Between Foundation Shade

As a pale girl, I find it very hard to find foundation shades that suit me. The lightest shade available is almost always too dark for me and if I do find one pale enough, it's always that touch too pale. So instead of continuing with my search and foundation-buying obsession, I tried the next logical step: mixing a too-dark shade with a too-light shade and voila: the perfect shade.

I use the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation, which I reviewed here, in the two lightest shades: Light Porcelain and Ivory. I find that Ivory is the perfect shade for me well into the summer-time and Light Porcelain in the dead of winter, but between the building and fading of a tan, I have to mix it up.

In order to create my perfect foundation shade, I apply one squirt of the Light Porcelain foundation onto the back of my hand, with half a squirt of the Ivory shade. I then simply mix the two together with my finger tip until they're fully blended together and apply as normal with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

 

I'll adapt the mixture when it develops further into the summer time to accommodate my hopefully tanned skin, but until then this works well for me!

 

xx

 

Review: Rimmel Kate Moss 101 Lipstick

 

 

I'm pretty sure there's not a girl alive who isn't somewhat familiar with the good old Kate Moss 107 lipstick. But I don't often hear enough about the other shades from the collection, which lead me to investigate in my local boots and emerge bearing the beautiful shade 101.

 

My tastes in lipsticks change very frequently depending on my mood or outfit choice for the day, but I have noticed my favouring of a pretty, dusty pink shade. Up until recently it had been Rimmel's Oxford St Fuchsia but after discovering this beauty it's been well and truly pushed aside.

 

The 101 lipstick is a matte-yet-glossy lipstick that sits beautifully upon the lips. The formula is so moisturising despite it's matte finish that I'm amazed and the scent, oh, the scent is a deliciously fruity kind of smell. I think it's very important for lip products to smell nice because they are so close to your nose that they're often unpleasant to wear otherwise. Anyway, the colour. It's somewhat similar to the MUA Matte Effect in Pouty Pink - a pretty, girly, bubble gum pink that's not too dark and not too light but this one contains more pigment and is much more flattering, I feel. It's wear time is impressive and maintains strength through eating and drinking.

 

 

Overall I'm really impressed with this lipstick. Whilst I'm not sure it will ever gain such a credibility as the infamous 107, I'm sharing this find with whoever will listen. This lipstick retails for £5.49 from Boots but is currently on offer for £3.99!

 

xx



Current Go-To Nail Shades

 

 

Spring is approaching! And as distant as that may seem due to the impending weather difficulties in the UK, I am holding on to the hope that it's still on it's way. Obviously due to the previous point, the weather has put my spring clothing on hold so I have been embracing the pretty shades and textures and patterns in such a way that doesn't look too bad paired with my coat and scarf of choice: nail shades.

 

Here I have a mix of textures and colours, all my current go-to polishes (for the days that I'm allowed to wear nail varnish - college rules). Sorry about the dodgy quality of the photo - I had to take this snap within the two minutes the sun managed to break through the dark clouds and so I just went with the best shot I was able to capture! Coloured polishes pictured above are: Revlon's Cupid (the pink), Revlon's Cloud (the pale purple), Revlon's Blue Lagoon (the shimmery blue) and Barry M's Mint Green (the mint green.. obviously). And the three textures are: Sally Hansen's Sugar Coat, Avon's Opal Top Coat and Rimmel's Matte Top Coat. 

Textures:

 

Following the overwhelming but now out-dated success of the 'Crackle' nail varnish, I find it difficult to find unique nail varnish finishes that aren't a little tacky. I may or may not have previously mentioned the Rimmel Matte Finish Pro, but I'll be surprised if I haven't as I adore it. It literally changes any nail varnish into a matte one, whether it's a glitter or a regular polish. The Sally Hansen Sugar Coat is a new find of mine, which leaves my nails textured with a gritty, sand like finish. It's a little scratchy but gives full coverage in one coat and is a bright, clean white. Finally I have my last little grasp on Christmas - a glitter top coat. This one is a bit more subtle and features flecks of shimmery pale glitter, meaning it's great for the pastel spring trends.

 

Colours:

 

As you may have seen in my OOTD birthday post, I absolutely adore Revlon's Cupid: a bright bubblegum pink that gives full coverage in just one coat and lasts for ages. It's probably my most worn colour from this collection, as it always catches my eye if I'm a bit unsure of what to wear. My other two Revlon picks are Cloud and Blue Lagoon. Cloud is one of those shades that has a hint of so many colours that I don't know what to call it - a grey-ish lilac-y blue? It's super flattering despite it's split personalities, colour wise, and despite it's paleness, it only requires two coats to give intense colour. Blue Lagoon is a pretty pale blue laced with a subtle silver sparkle that works really well with my silver crown ring as it sets off the shimmer. Finally Barry M's Mint Green is my green of choice, but it's quite wishy-washy so I sometimes apply a white polish as a base to get maximum colour. 

 

Again I apologise for the poor quality of these photos - hopefully the weather will lighten up a bit soon! I hope you all had a good week.

 

xx

5 Minute Make-Up Kit

 

I'm not ashamed to say that due to the current chill in the air in England I've accidentally-on-purpose overslept for college a couple of times pretty much every day this past two weeks (it's my duvet's fault, not mine). I'll be snoozing my alarm from 7:30am right up until 8:15am when I'm supposed to be leaving at 8:30am to make sure I give myself enough time to walk up to my friend's house for 9am.

 

So over the past few days I've managed to pull together a sort of last-minute make-up routine that takes all of five minutes and gives me enough confidence to leave the house without looking like I've overslept/a zombie.

 

The first step once I've pulled my hair up into it's mandatory bun (college salon rules) I apply a little lot of the Collection Cover Up Stick underneath my eyes and blend it out with my fingers to cover my dark circles. Next, I take my MUA Cover and Conceal Concealer and dot it across my face, concentrating on any blemishes or redness. I blend this out with my foundation brush. To add some definition to my eyes, I like to use both ends of my Rimmel Double Ended Kajal Stick, running the white end along my water line to brighten and awaken and the black end up beneath my lashes to add some depth. I finish with a few sweeps of my 17 Blow Out Mascara onto my lashes and a slick of my Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch on my lips to give a pop of colour since I'm lacking any blusher.

 

So there you have it! I hope I've given you guys some ideas on what products to use when you're in a rush, they certainly do the job for me!

 

xx

My Top 4 Statement Lips (Best & Worst!)

 

 

Okay, so I have this little obsession with lipsticks. I don't really know where it came from as up until last year I had the opinion that lipstick was for more mature, sensible women than me and I was completely all about the eyes.

 

But since the day that I changed all that, I've grown quite a collection. I think lipstick is the thing I have the most random purchases of - even if the colour definitely isn't suitable for my look or my skin tone, I always buy it... just in case.

 

So today I thought I'd show you guys my top 4 Statement lipsticks (best & worst).

 

 

 

 

Left to right: Nivea Volume Shine Lipstick in Mauve Parure - Barry M Lipstick in 129 - Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Rogue - MUA Lipstick in Nectar

 

 

Nivea Volume Shine Lipstick in Mauve Parure -

 

One of my post recent purchases - a gorgeous deep berry toned purple. The formula of this is very thick and is one that definitely needs a brush to be applied or it will go everywhere. It has good staying power once applied in layers and adds drama to any outfit. I would recommend keeping all other make-up simple for a day look, where-as adding lashings of mascara and a cat-eye looks amazing with it for a dramatic night-out look. I got this for £1 from Poundland.

 

Barry M Lipstick in Shade 129 -

 

This lipstick is the 'worst' mentioned in the title. I was so excited when I bought this lipstick as I've been dying for a pale purple lip shade but sadly this was such a disappointment! The formula is so shiny and never dries so the slightest touch of your lips will cause a blur! The shade is completely un-wearable for me as it makes everything seem so yellow! My skin looks unhealthy and sallow and it's not very flattering for even the whitest teeth. Such a shame as it's a lovely pale pink toned lilac but it just doesn't work for me! I paid £4.25 for this from Boots.

 

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Rogue -

 

Although it looks much darker in the tube, this lipstick has a lovely deep red tone. In my photo it doesn't translate well (I think it was the bright lighting) but it works very well with my pale skin and looks perfect with just a few slicks of mascara for a ' I look like I've tried when I actually haven't' look. The staying power of this is incredible - I applied at 8am and it was still going strong at half past 2pm - and once dry it's not too matte or shiny. My lips simply look moisturised! I got this for £1 at Poundland.

 

MUA Lipstick in Nectar -

 

This lipstick is definitely my favourite out of the bunch. A gorgeous bright, wearable orange that sits beautifully upon lips and lasts for hours. It's brightness doesn't wash me out at all, in fact it seems to give some life to my face! It applies really well straight from the tube but does require layers if you want it to last all day. This lipstick can be taken from day-to-night with just an outfit change, I love it! I picked it up from Superdrug for just £1!

 

So there you have it! My top four best and worst statement lipsticks.

 

I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

xx

 

 



Review: Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro Nail Varnish

 

 

If there's one thing that's important to me in a nail varnish is its longevity. With the current busy-ness of my lifestyle I have no time in the day to re-apply chipped nail varnish, meaning that I've more than often gone without recently! Cue Rimmel's Lasting Perfection Pro.

 

I scouted these nail varnishes in the Poundshop and feel their shimmery, summery shades and long-lasting formula are the perfect match for my busy lifestyle. There are a few others in the collection that can be found in Poundlands, but the only other one I've seen (and bought) is a dark sparkly blue shade I can't remember the name of (sorry!)

 

 

 

My two shades of choice are 340 Marine Blue and 350 Violet Metal, both iridescent and shimmery. Marine Blue is a gorgeous mid-blue shade that has hints of green when looked at from different angles.  Violet Metal is a purple/pinkish shade with hints of blue/purple when looked at from a different angle.  Both of these polishes applies like a dream and are super pigmented with only one coat.

 

 

 

 

 In this photo Marine Blue is definitely the nicer shade and Violet Metal looks really off-colour but I think it might have just been the lighting. It's much more beautiful in person! My favourite way to wear these shades is Violet Metal on my fingernails and Marine Blue on my toes!

 

xx

 

 



The Summer Transition: Pink-Toned Lips.

Hi everyone!

It's been such a busy week for me! I'm down to my last unit in college and then I'm finally fully qualified! I've been accepted into Level 3 so I'm going to continue my studies but who knows what the future holds!

As I'm sure you've read, 'The Summer Transition' is a new series of posts I've put together showing the changes I've made to prepare myself for the summer. I'm planning to focus on products (here), style, exercise, make-up and diet. I was originally going to sum up my make-up changes in one post but I'm so in love with these lipsticks (and scrub) that I thought they deserve their own post!

Bottom - Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Oxford St Fuchsia // Middle Left - MUA Lipstick in Shade 4 // Middle Right- MUA Lipstick in Shade 3 // Top - 2True Colour Drench Lipstick in Shade 5

LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub

I think I've mentioned most of these products in my make-up faves post (here) and I've been using them quite a while but I literally cannot stop raving about them! The Rimmel Lipstick and the MUA Lipstick in Shade 3 are my most recent purchases, the Rimmel one I scouted in the poundshop (!) and the MUA one from Superdrug. 

Sometimes in the Spring/Summer I lean towards more natural looking make-up but this year I've been exploring my colour options and decided to go all out!

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Oxford St Fuchsia 

This lipstick is my new baby! I call it my 'Barbie Pink' lipstick as the shade on the lips is really bright and pigmented but at the same time is the perfect, wearable shade. I wore this to college recently and received several compliments about it. Despite it being my new fave, I'm actually terrified to use it as it was such a bargain price and don't want to run out of it! It's staying power is incredible, even without applying it with a brush, and will last me through three meals a day without budging. 

You can buy it here for £6.29 from Superdrug.

Make Up Academy Lipstick in Shade 4

As I'm sure you can tell by the amount I have left, this is my most used lip shade! It's a lovely light pink that isn't too pigmented and is perfect for a 'barely there' make up look. I'm not going to lie, the sustainability of this isn't amazing (I have to top up a lot throughout the day) but for the price I'm not complaining. This lipstick is really hydrating and stays on lips with a glossy finish.

You can buy here for £1 from Superdrug.

Make Up Academy Lipstick in Shade 3 

I've had my eye on this gorgeous red/pink shade for so long! It's seriously pigmented on the lips straight from the bullet but I prefer the look of it when applied with a lip brush. Like my other MUA lipstick (above) it's staying power isn't incredible but again the price is so good you can't complain! I can apply this without the use of a lip balm before because of how nourishing it is, and I also have a thing for the smell (does that make me weird?!).

You can buy here for £1 from Superdrug

2True Colour Drench Lipstick in Shade 5

This colour actually looks a lot darker/more sparkly in the bullet than it is once applied on the lips. I always apply this with a lip brush as I find it applies really thick and messy without using one. I usually wear it if I'm not making an effort with the rest of my make-up and it makes me look like I have! 

Left - Right. Rimmel Moisture Renew in Oxford St Fuchsia, MUA Lipstick in Shade 3, MUA Lipstick in Shade 4, 2True Colour Drench Lipstick in Shade 5

LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub

Finally is my dearly beloved LUSH Lip Scrub! The delicious scent, the simple packaging, the gorgeous colour... need I go on?! I use this every night after I've finished with my skincare routine (full post on my routine coming tomorrow!) and it leaves my lips soft, lightly tinted, and, well, tasting frickin' amazing! 

Buy it here for £5.25 from Lush.co.uk


So there you have it! My favourite lip shades for Spring/Summer. 

What are your fave shades?

xo