Makeup Revolution Mermaids vs Unicorns Palette // Drugstore Beauty At Its Best!!!

It's a Sunday afternoon, the windows are open, the sun is kind of shining and my hay fever has taken it upon itself to torment me majorly. 

This only means one thing, blogging time. 

Today ladies I have a makeup related post (my favourite thing since curry).

I have dedicated this post to a fairly new brand called Makeup Revolution, which in my opinion doesn't get enough credit. 

I love their products!!! Literally these are a really good drugstore brand with a vast array of affordable products and contain many a dupe for some of the high end makeup items on the market. 

I have 9 of their eyeshadow palettes and I love them all. They are highly pigmented and have some super-watt staying power even without a primer. 

The palette I am currently reaching for A LOT at the moment is the...

Mermaids vs Unicorns. 

It has a captivating array of greens and blues merging its way to purple and pinks. Myself, I am a Mermaid girl. I LOVE the blues and greens in this palette. 

I have quite blue eyes and I find the blues in this palette really make my eyes pop. I LOVE the bright, bold blue especially to add depth and saturation. 

At a steal this palette is only £4. Yes, you heard me correctly, £4. And there is a lot of product in the palette too. 

I love all of their products (I know I have said that before), especially their eyeshadow's and I am completely on board with the brand. You can find Makeup Revolution in Superdrug or at their online store. 

Grab the palette here and see for yourself http://www.makeuprevolutionstore.com/index.php/mermaids-vs-unicorns.html

L x

Essentials // My Top 5 August Faves

Since I have been home quite a lot due to not having a job at present, I have been using certain things on a daily basis. 

Four of the things are beauty related, one not so much, ha, but I had to include it as I use it all the time since I bought it. 

As I have been spending more and more time extracting myself from civilisation and cooped up in my bedroom like a loser, I have not really wanted to put a full face of makeup on. I feel it's a waste of makeup, so if I have to pop into my local town quickly (usually to get my guinea pigs lettuce)I will reach for these certain items. Most of the time I haven't been wearing any make up at all which has been nice, but I also feel incredibly disgusting. 

So what I am about to show you are currently... Well for the month of August anyway, my top 5 faves. 

Lets go. 

1.

Garnier Skin Naturals Micellar Cleansing Water.

I have been using this on a daily basis since I bought it. I use it mainly at night when I am removing my makeup, but I also use it sometimes in the morning to give it an extra clean. 

I used to use makeup wipes but then I thought I'd try this out as it was something different and I actually really like it. I use flat cotton pads and splash this stuff all on it and proceed to remove my makeup. It's a lot kinder to my skin than some of the wipes I had previously been using as it scratched my skin. It's really refreshing too and really good at getting rid of my makeup. 

The only thing I would say is that you have to go over your eye makeup up quite a bit to remove it. Well you do if you wear dark makeup around your eyes like me. Other than that it's perfect.

I got mine from Savers (cheap store in the UK) at £2.99 and apparently it lasts up to 200 uses. It's super cheap and does the job well. 

2.

Pure B.B Cream.

I have been wanting a B.B cream for the last few months but I didn't want to buy anything too expensive in case I didn't like it. I know the coverage with B.B creams aren't amazing, which is the point in them I suppose as it's a blemish balm. 

I picked this one up in Savers again for around £1.70 which is quite cheap, so I wasn't expecting great things from it. I just wanted to try it out. I wanted B.B cream for the days that I am not wearing a full face of makeup but didn't want to look like death either. Just something to even out my skin tone, conceal blemishes and make me look a little more alive. Something light. 

I bought this in the shade 'light' and it says on the box that it...

• Evens your skin tone.
• Blurs imperfections.
• Smooths fine lines.
• Hydrates the skin.
• And, contains vitamin E & mineral pigments.

The colour that comes out of the tube is actually quite dark for a 'light' shade and when I first used it I really didn't like it. I used my fingers to blend it into my face and found the coverage was patchy and it didn't really hide much. 

I tried it again the next day with a makeup brush to blend it into my face and this time the coverage was even and it gave me a nice glow. It is a tiny bit darker than my pale skin tone but it gives me a nice colour. The consistency is quite thick so you don't need to apply much but it does dry quite sticky (on my skin anyway)which I don't particularly like. 

All in all for a cheap B.B cream it's pretty good. And considering I was just trying it out it's not bad for me, especially when I am only wearing it around the house to make myself look more presentable. 

3.

MUA 'Undress Me Too' Eyeshadow Palette.

I bought this from Superdrug (UK drugstore) as I wanted to expand my eyeshadow palette collection and I loved the neutral tones. Obviously this isn't a high end palette but I thought the packaging looked clean and pretty and I wanted to work more with earthy colours. 

I think this palette was around £4 and it comes with 12 shades, mixing in with cool greys, soft neutrals and gold metallics. They are actually quite pigmented for a cheaper brand, they aren't highly pigmented but very workable nonetheless. 

I have been mainly using it on my eyebrows recently to create a more softer, natural look than my current pencil gives. I have been using an angled brush to apply the two bottom, right shades. The lighter brown first and then the darker shade to define. 

It works really well on the brows as well as the eyes.

What we have here is a multi-tasking product. 

4.

Benefit 'Her Glam' Makeup Kit.

This was bought for me as a gift from my Auntie last Christmas and I have only just started to use it. 

I am unsure how much it was due to me stating that it was a present but I have been using this with my B.B cream. 

As you can see the little angled brush is missing as that is what I have been using on my eyebrows so that's in my palette. Once my base is done I have been using the pictured illumination liquid. Moon Beam I believe. This I have been using just above my cheekbone to give it a natural looking highlight and it makes my face seem dewy. Then I apply the blusher (next to the brush), I don't use that god awful brush though as I don't want a stripe of colour. Ha. 

I will be honest with you. I don't find the kit super amazing. I don't know if I would find other products in their range much better, but I am just not feeling it. Considering as they are quite expensive I would hope for better in their full size versions. 

5.

New Look Sealed Floral Cup (with straw).

  

I LOVE this cup soooo much. I have literally been using this cup every day since I bought it!!! And yes, of course I have washed it. I am weird... But not that wierd. :) 

I originally bought one of these with pineapples on a few months back and when I got it home and used it I noticed it was cracked inside so the liquid was coming through. I had to take it back and there were no more left to replace it. I was very saddened by this news.

THEN... I went back in this month and this was the last one left and I love the design so much better. It is definitely a 'me' cup!! I love the floral design and the colours used and it's great if you're clumsy like me and spill drinks. Why you ask? Well that's because the top is sealed and if you knock it over no liquid comes out. 

I got this with money I had left on a Christmas voucher and it cost £5.99. My New Look store isn't the biggest so you should find it in the bigger cities. 

There you have it, my top 5 August faves. 

I would highly recommend all the products I have featured in this post today, even the Benefit kit as there are some useful products to use.  

Go and buy ladies :) 

♥

My "Holy Grail" Eyeshadow Palette // The Ultimate Box of Tricks for Your Eyes!

Helloooooo!!

I have decided to do a not so long (written) blog post like I usually do today, just to mix it up a little. I don't want to become too predictable now do I?! ;) 

I touched upon this product in my previous post which you can link to HERE. 
And I spoke about this product favourably in the 'eye' section, and how I am currently using it to create my smoky eye look. It is my holy grail of shadows at the mo.

It is a product made by the 'Front Cover' Brand and it is an awesome box full of super cool tools to make your eyes stand out beautifully. The box of tricks is called 'A Billion Stars' and after doing some research I cannot find this box anywhere on their website (www.frontcovercosmetics.com) as when you click the 'shop' button it comes up with an error message. 
Odd...
But you can pick it up on places like Ebay until the site is back up and running again. I did purchase mine a few years back now and it is still my favourite eyeshadow palette to use to date. 

This is what you get. 

As you can see there is no palette in there. 
Well, that's because I am using it and it's in my hand bag as I type. AND the palette has a mirror inside. Score! 

The box contains.

. 4 shot silk effect eyeshadows.
. 4 domed twinkle baked powder eyeshadows.
4 satin pressed eyeshadows.
. 4 domed baked powder eyeshadows.
. Pot of silver stars. (Which I LOVE)
. Holographic glitter.
. 2 Iridescent pigments.
. Shadow base.
.Shadowline.
. Eye effects glue.
.Double ended eye applicator. 
. Front Cover to go compact. 

Some of the shadows are missing from the box, but here they are in my compact. 

I have been using these pots the most to create my smoky eye effect. I will do a tutorial soon on this look. Let me know what you think? 

I love the little pot of stars and the glitters too! 

It also comes with a makeup artists tips and  step by step photographic instructions to "let you achieve studio finish make-up". This is such a good idea, especially for beginners who are just starting out and experimenting with eye makeup. 
Well played... Well played.  

If you love makeup in general or you are wanting to experiment with different styles on your eyes and want a good quality product, then check this out. I love it and I think you would too. 

♥

Makeup Must Haves // What's In My Makeup Bag?!

I love makeup. 

Period. 

I never used to wear much at all, especially when I was at school. Back then it was "FORBIDDEN"! Gradually, through the years I experimented more and more with different foundations, concealers, eye shadows, eye liners, lipsticks, you name it I was trying it out. Now that I am a little older, I have come to find that I know what I like and don't like in a makeup brand or product. And I find that a product doesn't have to be 'high end' for it to be of value to your face. In fact a lot of high-street/drugstore brands work just as well. I don't like to spend a lot of money on each product unless it's truly worth it, and even then it makes me cringe! 

Put it this way I am a drugstore queen, I like deals, value for money and accessibility of a product.

 If you are either looking for some must-have products that are bank balance friendly, or someone who only uses high end brands but you are intrigued by what else the makeup counter has to offer you, then you have come to the right girl!

I am going to show you what I carry in my makeup bag on a day to day basis. I have split it into sections for you.

. Face

. Eyes

. Lips

In each category I don't always carry everything within my handbag, I tend to mix it up a bit each day. But those shown are my HG (holy grail) goto products.

Here we go. :) 

FACE

 

FACE.

1. I LOVE this concealer, I have been using it for years now. I use this around my eyes, especially the dark circles, blemishes and on spots. I always put this on before my foundation, and I know a lot of other people put it on after, but in fact I find it works better my way round. It acts as a base for the foundation so it doesn't allow it to sink into the dark circles and emphasise it more. Give it a go and see the difference.

2 & 3. I will then apply either foundation depending on what I am doing. For instance, if I am just wanting 'natural' looking makeup that day I will apply (3) as it is lighter and illuminates my face. If I am going out or have a job interview (which is a rarity at the moment) I will apply foundation (2) as it is a little thicker and has more of a matte finish. Both equally as good, just for different occasions.

4. I love this product by MUA. It is the 'Undress Your Skin' illuminating powder. It is soooo nice to use and I LOVE using it when I am wearing foundation (3) as it enhances the illuminating effect. It doesn't apply really thick, and is even on application. It gives a natural glow and makes my skin look healthy. I will always have this in my makeup bag and in my daily makeup ritual. 

5. The Collection blush is another favourite of mine. I use the shade 'Trouble' and it lasts for like FOREVER!! Seriously, I use it every time I have makeup on and it hasn't even hit pan yet. Again, it applies really nicely and evenly and leaves you with natural looking flushed cheeks. Winner!!


EYES

  I love my eyes, I regard them as my best feature, so I like to emphasise them as much as I can. I am currently loving the smoky eye look so these are what I have been carrying around with me.
I don't always wear this amount of eye makeup as I have bad hay fever and I just end up rubbing it off but when I can this is what I use. 

1. I start off with pencilling my eyebrows in, they are naturally really light so it looks like I have none. I look like an egg, a hard boiled egg. The colour I use is 'dark brown' and I love the Rimmel one as it has the staying power, easy to apply and it has the little brush on the lid to tame the strays. 

2. I have recently used the Eyeko eyeliner pen and I really enjoyed using it. It is smooth to apply, it doesn't drag like others I have used, it doesn't scratch the skin and it creates great cat flicks. I ALWAYS have a cat flick and I am pretty on point with creating them, but this pen makes it easier because of the nib. The only downside I feel this product has is that it sinks into the skin and the colour fades quickly. This is when I use product (3).

3. I will use the Rimmel 'Exaggerate' liquid eyeliner over the top of the applied pen to bring back the depth of the black that was lost. I love using this liquid eyeliner as again it's easy to apply, there is enough liquid on the nib to cover but not smother. It stays black and dries really quickly. I have been really reaching for the Rimmel products recently, especially their 'Exaggerate' range as they are richly pigmented, great value for money and the colour pay off is awesome. 

4. Next I will apply the Rimmel 'ScandalEyes' Kohl pencil to the inside of my waterline and tightline. Both upper and lower. This defines my eyes even more and I love to use it on the outer corners of my eyes so I can smudge and blend downwards. Hello smoky effect. 

5. Mascara's aren't a big deal for me as my eyelashes NEVER curl. It's so frustrating as I always have poker straight lashes and I always envy the girls that have amazingly spidery lashes. I just grab the cheapest mascara to hand and the Miss Sporty one is like £2. It's nothing special, but it does the job. 

6. And finally for the eyes, if I want to create the smoky, sultry effect then I will grab my Front Cover Eye kit. I brought it a few Christmases ago and it was quite pricey at around £35 but it was totally worth it and it's so pretty. It comes with the palette shown, and loads of different eye shadows and little accessories.

LIPS

When doing my make up it can either go two ways as far as my lip colour is concerned. I am currently loving either bright red lips or nude. 

If I have done heavy-ish eye makeup then I usually go for a nude lip and let the eyes do the talking. If the eyes are still dark but lighter in appearance, I will then go for the red. Red lipstick makes me feel glamorous, as stupid as that sounds. If I have that on, I feel good no matter how crappy I do actually feel that day. 

I always use a lip liner and matte lipstick, I just like the feel and appearance and these are always in my makeup bag. 

I didn't go into detail on my lip must-haves as I have touched on those before. 

I hope you have enjoyed finding out what I carry in my makeup bag and that there might be some products you would like to try out yourselves.

♥