MUA Shimmer Kisses.

Yes I know more MUA but what can I say it has to be the least expensive and the best value addiction EVER!!

Went in to get the new creme blushes unfortunately they where not available so I HAD to get something lol. Originally I was not going to get the the shimmer kisses. With my skin type and being generally "older than the Romans" (I do love my kids, honest) I don't go in for much shimmer on my face for fear of looking like a flaky disco ball. But I was there, so where they looking all pretty, shiny and only £3...it was fate really.

You'll have to excuse the pictures, I  took them in doors after dark and on my daughters camera phone, both my phone and camera had flat batteries. I could/should have waited for them to pictured properly BUT I'd have to have waited to use them! lol.

The bornzer in nice, not to dark but well pigmented. As I am of advancing years its probably a bit to shimmery for an all over look on my skin but it is lovely to highlight and use the lighter shades in the corner of my eyes to brighten, quips bow, brow bone an top of cheek bones. It blends out to a lovely sheen but can be built in to a definite sparkly shimmer.

 Pink shimmer is awesome! I love shiny, glittery, shimmery things and if its a pink shiny glittery, shimmery BONUS!!! In the pictures it looks really rosy dusky in one and really purple pink in the other. Despite re taking the pictures 4 or 5 times if I altered my camera angle slightly this is what happens. A pink kaleidoscope of shades and having 4 separate blocks its one of those products that you can tailor to you own preference. 1st time I've been pleased by something I want being sold out! As I said must have been fate!

Thanks for reading!

Lip gloss' galore

I think I've said before I'm not normally a lip gloss gal but lately, (probably due to my love affair with the MUA out there glosses) I've been felling the glossy love!

Some Vivo colour wash lip gloss jumped in to my basket on quick nip in to Tesco for milk....(they really shouldn't have them in eye shot lol)

They are £1 each an I picked up the shades: early to rise, lets go, setting sun and raring to go.

They have that lovely caramel vanilla smell thing going on and are fairly tacky but its not like smearing ice cream sauce on your mouth (mini monster's latest trick!).

As you can see the swatches are reasonably pigmented but sheer out a lot on the lip. They do give some subtle colour, a bit more than is showing on my pictures.

What I really like to do with glosses like these is layer them over lip sticks. They work especially well over those "nude shades" that are quite pale and scare me or make me look quite scary depending on your point of view lol.

Oddly enough the next day  was having a little "look" in Superdrug and picked up some bits from MUA (not a surprise to any one) swatches and review coming soon. I didn't see any special offer signs but when I got to the till apparently I had earned a free lip gloss! I asked the sales assistant to just grab which ever one she thought would look good an I came home with shade 2. The formula, smell and pigmentation is incredibly similar an just as lovely! If you don't get a free one they are also only £1.

Its better than an even chance I will be getting more!

Even if your not a huge lover of gloss or have yet to be converted to their wonderment or even just want to have a go at layering with out spending more than you absolutely have to they are really good value and with Christmas coming up would be excellent for a little secret Santa or stocking fillers or just to have in your bag to keep your smile shiny on those many Christmas lunches/after work drinks and general top up.

Thank you for reading.

Bit of rambling and some FOTD & NOTD

I know this seems like a very lazy post and it probably is but not because I can't be bothered, simply I seem to blink and my day is gone. Sunday I finished a very long 6 night shift stint and I'm back in tonight :o( so any spare moments have been spent with my girls. I'm hoping once the mini monster is in nursery I will get a bit more time for shiny makeups and blogs and house work and sleep and generally me......keep your fingers crossed :o)

I was going to do my empties, I have had an empties bag on the back of the door for a long time now. I find it helps me remember what to buy when I run out and what I was an wasn't impressed with. I am quite forgetful and have re purchased products I didn't like simply because I for got I already tried them. So you should have been reading about them until I realised that my "lil bag o empties" is a giant bag of 90% of my bathroom cabinet. I have thought of filming it as it may be quicker but I'm not sure,.... any thoughts??

Any way on to the picks and ingredients. A few of the faces I've been wearing in the last 6 - 8 weeks

Sort of silver and smokey:

Rimmel Renew & lift in 100 ivory

Vivo Ultimate brow & eye kit

Natural Collection cove up cream in fair

Urban Decay primer potion

Collection  2000 fix me up spray

Vivo baked blush in shade 1 peaches & cream

Vivo baked bronzer in shade 3 healthy glow

Collection 2000 pressed powder in 13 ivory

MUA single eyeshadow in shade 16 matte

Collection 2000 idol eyes shimmer crayon in gun metal

MUA pallet in going for gold

MUA every lash mascara in waterproof black

Vivo kohl eye liner in black

Avon liquid liner in evening black

George lip liner  in 01 red

Wet n wild brilliant lipstick...has no name??

 All Collection 2000 (which I didn't noticed until I laid the products out for the picture)

Colour match foundation in medium 5

Lasting perfection concealer in light 2

Pressed powder in 13 ivory

Mosaic bronzer shimmering glow in 7 gold

Intense colour khol in 02 birdy song

Cover up stick in 14 honey beige

Cream puffin 3 fairy cake

Collegian curl mascara in 17 ultra black

Fast stroke eye liner in 1 black

blush in 04 trouble

Smokey eyes kit (middle row)

Fix me up spray

Accessorize  you are everything pallet the bronze/browns

NYC bronzer chroma face glow in sunstone

Elf luscious liquid lip in maple sugar

Soap & Glory arch de triumph

Vivo ultimate brow & eye kit

Collection 2000 pressed powder in 13 ivory 

Vivo ultimate base concealer kit

Elf liquid eye liner in coffee

Elf kohl eye liner in gilded

Benefit bad gal lash mascara (not shown)

(obviously from the lack of foundation etc I was have a very rare "good skin day")

 

Rimmel match perfection in 100 ivory

Rimmel match perfection concealer 040 soft beige

 Soap & Glory arch de triumph

Urban Decay naked pallet

Elf luscious liquid lip in brownie points

MUA blush in shade 1

Elf make up mist & set spray

Elf exact lash in black

Collection 2000 pressed powder in 13 ivory

 

Rimmel match perfection concealer 040 soft beige

Collection 2000 pressed powder in 13 ivory

Elf liquid eye liner in silver

Collection 2000 idol eyes shimmer crayon in gun metal

Accessorize lengthening mascara in black

Accessorize single eyeshadow in silver dove

Accessorize single eyeshadow in graphite

MUA extreme felt eyeliner in black

Elf luscious liquid lip in maple sugar

Rimmel match perfection in 100 ivory

Rimmel match perfection concealer 040 soft beige

Collection 2000 pressed powder in 13 ivory

 Accessorize highlighter

 Accessorize lengthening mascara in black

Elf exact lash in black

MUA pallet in glamour days

Benefit bronzer in Hoola

Sleek brow kit in dark

Accessorize blusher in scandal

Rimmel lasting finish lipstick in 066 heather shimmer

Max factor glide & define in 2 black/brown

 

Rimmel match perfection in 100 ivory

Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer in light 2

Natural collection loose powder in cool translucent

Soap & Glory arch de triumph

 Vivo ultimate brow & eye kit

Vivo lengthing mascara in black

MUA pallet in undressed

Vivo blush and highlighter duo in shade 1 pin primrose

Soap & gloss sexy muther pucker in candy gloss

MUA extreme felt eyeliner in black

Mac fix plus spray

Rimmel match perfection in 100 ivory

Rimmel match perfection concealer 040 soft beige

Accessorize highlighter

  Accessorize blusher in scandal

 Soap & Glory arch de triumph

Benefit bronzer in Hoola

Accessorize lengthening mascara in black

L'oreal super liner in black crystal

Elf eye quad in teal dream

MUA kohl in jade jewel

Maybelline colour sensation lipstick in 735 crispy cookie

Rimmel vinyl lip gloss in 168 rhythm

Some nails......

Rimmel pro in 372 posh trash

 

BarryM in 332 chameleon lilac 

 

Elf in desert haze (trying to copy the amazing cute polish)

 

Revlon translucent polish in 011 sheer rose

Elf nail polish in golden goddess

Thank you for having a look see and top star if you made it this far :op 

Vivo mini haul

This week the lovely postman brought me a small package of delights from those beautiful people at Vivo. This was the 1st time I've ordered from the web site as they have usually been a pick up when in Tesco but I was after the Enchanted and Unprotected colour blocks an my local did have any in.
I placed my order on Monday (bank holiday) with standard shipping an it arrived on Thursday morning which I think is super quick as most companies get a bit gummed over a bank holiday week end.
I got the two colour blocks and a bronzer.

Baked Bronzer in Healthy Glow - shade 3. 12g for £5
Its in the same packaging as the baked blushes (but larger) clear hinged lid, closes securely which I love, as mentioned my lid losing habit in a previous post.

I've also mentioned my problem with bronzers so I got the palest shade. It looks exactly the same as it does on the web site. A beautiful soft golden peach colour. Probably a little pale even for me but it have a lovely sheen ad does indeed give an beautiful glow. Perfect for a dusting across the nose, forehead cheeks and chin. Gave a really nice lift to my face. It looks almost the same as the highlight shade in my Sleek contour kit and I can see this working perfectly as a highlighter for ladies with darker skin tones.

Colour Block in Enchanted 8.4g for £3.99

The packaging is a square plastic block with a clear lid so you can see all the colours. I have to be honest an I'm not keen on the packaging and it feels a little cheap compared to the other products. But that is my only complaint! There are 5 matte shades and the 7 shimmery shades. The are lovely and soft with a small amount of fall out from the deep shimmer brown (Me Too) but not enough to put me off the deep chocolate and golden flecks of this shade. The brights are so vibrant but blend out beautifully, everything I've come to expect from Vivo. 

Colour Block in Unprotected 8.4g for £3.99

Same packaging as Enchanted (obviously). This colour block has 3 matte shades and 9 shimmers. The beautiful soft naturally toned shades with the deeper darker gray blue ones off set them. The texture of the shadows are soft like velvet butter and highly pigmented.

  Its probably very obvious what caparison is going to be drawn. So I have included swatches of Naked and Undressed. 

These swatches where taken under different lighting but "in person" there is nothing between them, well except the price ;oP  

Thank you for taking the time to read.

 

 

Vivo Smokey Moods

During my never ending / never working quest for the figure of my youth I have swapped my supermarket sweet treat for a supermarket shiny makeup treat. This is how I discovered Vivo cosmetics. Quality products at a price that is "treat" not "extravagance" an the added bonus as they are in Tesco so I can earn club card points by buying them and then spend my club card points to buy more! Its win win! 

I grabbed Smokey Moods - Midnight Smoke - Ultimate eye kit (on a late night bread an milk run) for the bargain of £4! 3x eyeshadow - 3.6g and 2.5ml of black liquid liner. The back has a little guide on how to get an dramatic smokey look.

I love these little kits, its like they come with a bonus, I have the brow kit that comes with brow gel (an doubles as a fab trio of natural shadows) and the concealer kit (life saver) that comes with a lovely highlighter and a few other Vivo bits an I don't think I've been disappointed.

All swatches have been done without a primer. 

 The silver gives a beautiful solid covering and the purple is a vivid iridescent shade and a near perfect dupe for the L'Oreal eyeshadow I used on my primers post. The blue worried me as it has noticeable sized pieces of glitter and did feel a bit rough when I swatched it with my finger, strangely when I applied to my eye with a brush it didn't feel at all gritty! If you pat or pack it on with a small flat brush it is dark and twinkly just as in the pan but it also blends out loosing some of the glittery-ness in to a stunning petrol/denim blue shade I absolutely love! The eye liner has a stiff felt tip like nib that you dip in to the tube of liquid liner. You can get a really good fine line with the applicator and a good flick too. The eye liner is quite a watery formula, it doesn't run but does take a few second to dry to a glossy finish an once its dry it does not budge! No flakes no running no smudges. Love it!

Thanks for reading.

Battle of the Primers

Everyone Knows I love a bargain but only as long as its value for money. No point in something half the price when you end up wasting twice the cost.

So I decided to do a comparison, which I'm sure has been done before but I probably missed it!

My two favorite primers are Urban Decay's Primer Potion and MUA's eye primer. I'm currently still using my UD lil free pot that came with Naked. Its 3.7 ml an I believe in the US you can buy this travel size for $9 (roughly about £5.75 - £6). MUA eye primer is 7.5 for £2.50, around double the amount for half the price but is it worth it??

I'll start with the packaging MUA is in the sleek black tube with silver lettering. UD in the purple iridescent "potion" pot with a silver top that reminds me of St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow (yes I know ... strange brain). They both have roughly the same style applicator  just the UD is bent on an angle. I do prefer the UD packaging! but then I guess when its slapped on your eye an left on the dresser no one but you is going to know what bottle it came out of! They apply with exactly the same light almost whipped feel, leaving the eyelid smooth and with any obvious discoloration neutralised.

 

I put UD on my left eye (your right as you look at the photo's below) and MUA on my right eye (your left) I used L'Oreal Infallible 005 Purple Obsession on the lid and Vivo shade 4 Rich Chocolate in the crease. The top two pictures (below...confusing I know) where taken at 8 pm just after I had finished getting ready for work and the bottom pictures as soon as I arrived home at 10.30 am the following day. So a 10 hour night shift and 2 hour meeting I think it a pretty good test. I didn't touch up any of my eye make up during the night. To be honest as you can probably tell I think I only had time to re do my lips stick once!

 I noticed a bit of creasing on both eyes but as I have "old lady saggy lids" I'd still be in stunned shock if there hadn't been any! To me they both performed perfectly an I can't choose a thing between them! So it comes down to packaging and price - As cute as the UD bottle is, at double the amount for half the price and factoring the accessibility I think MUA will be my guaranteed repurchase, as I do love the bottle UD Primer Potion will be in my letter to Santa!

Thank you for reading!

MUA Haul

Prepare for a pick heavy post! I can just look at this gorgeous array of MUA colour loveliness for hours (an between you an me I have!) 

Mosaics: I got them 2 for £4 normal price is £2.50 each. 8.9g of product each. I'll start with the packaging. Clear plastic hinged lid that allows you to see what you are reaching for, closes really securely which is a big plus for me (I'm forever losing lids! popping them off if they're not attached). The sturdy case makes it perfect for travel and throwing in to hand bags. Also the have flat lids which makes then way better for storage compared to the domed lid ones.

 In a previous post I said how pleased I was with the ELF bronzing quad and the problems I've had finding a good bronzer - well MUA step up and be tested! I got shade 2-Sunkissed Glow and the blusher shade 1-English Rose.

Th bronzer is a spot on mix of peaces, chocolate browns, flesh and sand tones. The blush colours range from light pinks to deep rose tones, blue based pinks and almost lilac shades. The colour tiles in both blend beautifully the bronzer gives an exceptional soft glow to the skin with just a hint of sheen. The blush is a perfect pinky peach with a delicate gold shimmer. They apply lightly with good pigmentation than can easily be blended out or built up. It was almost a shame to disturb all those little tiles of colour swirling my brush in them but the result was defiantly worth it and i will be repurchasing!

 Lip Booms: £3. I love the Alexandra Burke packaging - particularly as the individual colours have her pictured wearing them not just a generic shot. The two shade I got where "OMG" and "OK.COM". Lip booms come with a mat lip stick at one end a highlighter/gloss at the other. The gloss seems very similar/the same on the 2 shades I picked up (but I've seen the others and they are not all the same) very sheer fleshy peach with teeny tiny micro glitter gold flecks in. Slightly tacky feeling once its settled on the lips but no unpleasant stickiness. The gloss has a faintly surgery/caramel/maple syrup type smell (yip I'm a sniffing again) and the lipsticks have an very faint aroma of coconut/shea, well they do to me lol.

OK.COM is a nude with a hint of peach. Its lighter than my lips (like most "nude" shades) but with this being a mat and a really smooth formula I don't get that nasty smeary streaky look that most nude shades do on me an with the highlighter it gives me a lovely soft glossy lip. OMG comes out a peachy orange on my lips an not a shade I would normally go for but I'm actually liking it, goes really well with a soft summer glow look giving my lips a understated pop.

The highlighter as the name suggest I think is meant to go in the center of the lips for that fuller pout look. I actually use it all over and worn just the gloss with out the lip stick!

 Out Their Plumping lip gloss: £2. I AM IN LOVE!! Bought all 8 which is waaaaay extravagant but I was over come with an urge and I finally got my over time pay. I love the packaging, I love the way the long sleek tubes don't feel cheap an sad but true, I love the way the clink together! Following a good smelling involving my children and long suffering other half there is not describable smell, as in there is a very very faint smell of something but none of us can describe it....(well except the baby who claims they "mell parkly"). Usually plumping lip glosses have a noticeable feeling an most I find reassuring that they might actually be doing something I have one "pucker" plumping gloss (mentioning no names) I actually find really uncomfortable an quite stingy. With the Out There glosses there is the mildest warm sensation. Again like the boom glosses they aren't overly sticky, they dont smear all over coffee mugs, my hair doesn't get stuck to them and I haven't seen them on my teeth yet.The colours are fantastic, plenty of pigmentation. To be honest all I can say is LOOKY LOOKY LOOOOOK! lol

Thank you for taking your time to read!