So by the time you read this I'll be in Ibiza! I don't have any posts scheduled while I'm away but I'm sure I'll have loads of stuff to blog about once I'm back...like what I spent all my money on in duty free!!
MAC has a program called 'Back to MAC' where they accept returns of 6 MAC products in their primary packaging containers to a MAC counter or online and you receive a free lipstick of your choice as thanks.
I saved up 6 MAC products I had that were empty or that I didn't use and took them back to my local counter.
The products I returned were:
Studio Sculpt Foundation NW25 - This was one of the first MAC foundations I tried (first was face and body) and the girl at the counter colour matched me to NW25. This colour was completely wrong for me as my skin tone as it's quite red and I would have needed a yellow based foundation (NC not NW) to help correct it. I also found it too light for my skin because I've always got fake tan on and found myself using quite a lot of bronzer to darken it. I only used this a couple of times and took it back half full.
Eye Shadow in Satin Taupe - This was the first MAC eye shadow I ever bought. It's lasted me for about 3 years and I finally finished it! The colour is described as 'Taupe with silver shimmer.' The pigment is amazing and I found myself wearing it on nights out as it lasted the full night without falling or creasing. I'll definitely be buying this colour again.
Studio Fix Fluid Foundation NC30 - I've been using this foundation for about 2 years now. It's a much better colour for my skin than the NW25 and the studio fix lasts way longer on my skin than the scuplt as I've got quite oily skin. I'm currently using a new bottle of this but after it's done I think it's time to try a new foundation. I'm stuck between Giorgio Armani, Luminous Silk and Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua.
Prep + Prime - This was my sisters primer that she gave me to make my empties up to 6 (how nice) so I can't really comment on this as I've never really used it. Has anyone else?
Studio Fix Powder Foundation NC30 - This is the powder version of my everyday foundation. I found this a really good powder but never really wore it on it's own as it didn't have much coverage. However, it was great on nights out to powder my face when I nipped to the bathroom. Sadly, in work the other day I dropped it and it smashed everywhere! I don't think I'll buy this again but I did like it while it lasted.
Bronzing Powder in Matte Bronze - I LOVE this bronzer and this is the third one I've finished. It's a lovely brown colour and not too orange and it's also matte which I love, I hate shimmery bronzers. Next I'd like to try Nars Laguna as I've heard its quite similar and you've probably seen me talk about it before on here.
So...the lipstick I chose in exchange for my six empties was Girl About Town. As you all know I love a pink lipstick and this one's been on my wishlist for a while now.
Girl About Town is a lovely dark Fuchsia Pink and feels lovely and moisturising on my lips. Because it's an 'amplified' lipstick its very pigmented and creamy. It also has great staying power, but it does stain my lips a bit.
Other MAC lipsticks that are currently on my wishlist are; Impassioned, Lady Danger and Rebel.
I think the Back to MAC program is such a great idea and I'm sure its not hard for us beauty bloggers to use up six MAC products! Has anyone else ever done this? What MAC lipsticks are on your wishlist?
Last year, Kate Moss launched a line of lipsticks for the brand Rimmel. The original collection had 7 shades but Kate has now brought out a second Spring collection with another 5 gorgeous colours. The lipstick contains Black Diamond pigments which makes it reflect in the light and create some amazing tones.
Up until last year, I never really wore any lipstick that wasn't nude or light pink as I wasn't brave enough. I worked my way up to dark pinks and reds but I'd always wanted to try a dark, vampy lipstick, so when I seen this shade while browsing in Superdrug I thought I would give it a try.
This lipstick shade is #04 and is a really dark purple colour. The texture is really moisturising and creamy and goes on my lips really well. I also found that on a night out I didn't have to reapply too much. I love the packaging as it has a 'signature' from Kate on it and a little heart which I think is really cute. The Kate Moss lipsticks cost £5.49 and can be purchased in Boots and Superdrug stores or online here.
Here's a picture of me on a night out wearing it so you can see what it's like on. I've actually only wore it once but definitely think it needs to come back out soon!
Have you tried any of the Kate Moss lipsticks? Would you wear this colour?
I've teamed up with John Frieda and they've very kindly let me host a giveaway for my lovely followers to win some Sheer Blonde products. One lucky reader will win products from one of the Sheer Blonde ranges which are:
Lightening
Tone Correcting
Moisturising
Enhancing
Make sure to let me know which range you would like in the comments below. You can have a look at the Sheer Blonde products on the website here.
1. Topshop Lips in All About Me - I'm loving Topshop lipsticks at the moment and already own Ooh La La, Infrared and Mischief. The next one I'd like in my collection is All About Me which is a gorgeous Fuchsia Pink. The last thing I need is another pink lipstick but I just cant resist! What's your favourite Topshop lipstick?
2. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation - I've wanted to try this Armani foundation for a while now and recently some of the girls in work got samples of it and let me try some on the back of my hand. The texture of it was gorgeous and it gave my skin a lovely glow, I think this will definitely be the next foundation I buy. I've used MAC Studio Fix for a couple of years now and think it's time to try something new. Have you ever tried it? 3. Benefit Erase Paste - I'm in desperate need of a new under-eye concealer as my Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer has fallen to pieces (this is the second one to do this). A lot of my friends use Erase Paste and I've heard great reviews on it. Recently Kayleigh did a review on her blog and has definitely convinced me to buy it!
4. Nars Laguna Bronzer - I'm currently using my Chanel Universal Bronzer, but I'm in need of a new powder one as I've ran out of my MAC Matte Bronze. I've heard that Laguna is quite similar, but slightly better than the MAC one. It's also bigger, so it should last longer. This is on my birthday wishlist so fingers crossed!
5. Sleek Blush in Rose Gold - I've seen a couple of reviews on this product and just today I read a review on Meg's blog comparing it to Nars Orgasm Blush. I've always wanted to try Orgasm but wasn't sure a shimmery blush was for me. So instead of forking out a lot of money for a blush I might not like, I'd be happy to pay £4.49 to try out this Sleek one...and it looked gorgeous on Meg!
I love using the John Frieda Sheer Blonde products as my dyed blonde hair (my natural hair's dark brown) tends to get brassy over time and the John Frieda products help keep it looking natural, so when I was asked to feature their new video tutorials I jumped at the chance.
John Frieda have released a series of step-by-step summer hairstyle tutorials to accompany their new Sheer Blonde range. Four blondes have been selected to star in the videos which are hosted by John Frieda's Senior Stylist, Giles Robinson.
Giles Robinson says, "Each blonde is different, but one thing they do have in common is that they're all striving for perfection! Whether they're after a lighter blonde, to reduce brassy tones or for the perfect style to show off their colour, the Sheer Blonde range will help them to achieve their blonde ambition."
There are four videos that match each of the four Sheer Blonde lines - Lightening, Tone Correcting, Moisturising and Enhancing. The four styles which are fish tail plaits, hair bow, low french roll and soft textured waves are designed to compliment blondes and their individual styles and hair types. The styles are designed to suit any summer occasion, from festivals to evening parties.
Below are the four videos:
Go Blonder - Lightening
Highlight Activating - Moisturising
Colour Renew - Tone Correcting
Highlight Activating - Enhancing
Personally, I think the videos are a great idea if you're wanting to try a new style but not sure how to do it. I've always wanted to be able to do a fish tail plait, so I will be trying this out!
What do you think of the Sheer Blonde style tutorials?
Studded Bracelet - One of the girls in work was wearing this the other day and it caught my eye, I'm obsessed with studs at the moment so when I went into Topshop today I had to get it! It comes in gold, rose gold and silver. I picked my sister up the rose gold one too.
Infrared Lipstick - I've been lusting after this lipstick for a while after seeing it on Kayleigh's blog. I usually go for pink and red shades so I thought I needed a nice orange in my collection. I already have a couple of Topshop lipsticks and love them and I can't wait to wear this one.
Black Shirt - I'm currently looking for a new job and my mum pointed out that I don't really have any formal clothing for interviews. One of the companies said that I should wear a black shirt so when I saw this in Topshop I thought would be great. I love that it's formal but the gold collar tips add a bit of my personal style.
I was really busy last week and didn't have time to blog a lot but there will be lots of new posts up this week!
Elle with free Jemma Kidd eye liner - There's been a few really good freebies in Elle the past few months. Last month I got the St. Tropez gradual tan and this month there's a free Jemma Kidd eye liner worth £14. You can get black, gold or blue, I chose black because I need a new black kohl liner.
Topshop Necklace - This double chain gold necklace was reduced from £15 to £2.50 so I couldn't resist buying it when I went into Topshop.
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum - I've been wanting to try this for so long and just got round to buying it. I've only tried it once and love it already! Full review coming soon.
Bourjois Volume Clubbing Mascara - I've used this mascara before and thought it was great. I'm running out of my Dior mascara and can't afford an expensive one at the moment so decided to buy this again. It will also be perfect for holiday as it's long lasting and water resistant. I'll do a full review on it soon.
Miss Guided studded t-shirt - I'd seen this t-shirt on Miss Guided a while ago and wanted it but it sold out, so as soon as they got it back in I ordered it. I've also seen it on a few fashion bloggers. It was a bargain at £12.99.
Vero Moda studded collar shirt - I work in House of Fraser ladies department and need to wear the clothes they sell. I chose a Vero Moda shirt with a cute studded collar as I'm obsessed with studs at the moment.
I also got a free sample of the new Marc Jacobs - Dot perfume. It's lovely and I'm thinking of buying a full sized bottle.
I'm going on holiday in 3 weeks and I've already been making a list of what I want to buy at Duty Free, is that sad? I love buying beauty products at Duty Free because of the discount and it's the best part of the airport for me! Here's my list:
YSL Rouge Volupte #27 Rose Paris: I've been meaning to buy another Rouge Volupte lipstick for a while but sometimes I can't justify the price because I'm always skint. I've already got one in #2 Sensual Silk and really love the formula. My friend Kaitlyn has Rose Paris and it's the most gorgeous colour so hopefully they have it at the airport.
Lancaster Tan Maximizer After Sun: I tan quite well on holiday and always want to make sure it lasts as long as possible so I always try to use after sun. I've wanted to try this for a while and then I saw the review on Beth's blog, I decided the next time I went on holiday I would try it.
Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb: Flowerbomb is one of my favourite perfumes ever along with Chanel Coco Mademoiselle and Dior Miss Cherie. Unfortunately, I've ran out of all 3!! I always buy perfume at Duty Free and I've decided on Flowerbomb as I ran out of that first and not used it in a while.
MAC Girl About Town: I've been lusting after this particular MAC lipstick for SO long, so this is definitely the one I want to buy the most! I've probably got far too many pink lipsticks similar to this, but I need it. One more won't hurt...
Smirnoff Ice 'Twist of' Vodka: I know this is a strange thing to put in a list of beauty products, but I like to pick up a coupe of bottles at Duty Free because there's always deals on. I love the Raspberry stuff the best!
Last year, I got the chance to work on the Dior Makeup counter in House of Fraser for the day with one of the international Makeup Artists. I didn't get paid for it, but I did however get to choose a lipstick as payment for the day which I was more than happy with. I wore this lipstick once then put it away and forgot about it until the other week. I've only recently started wearing bright colours and used to stick to nudes, so when I came across this in my collection I started wearing it again.
The Dior Rouge Dior range is inspired by the colours of the Dior Haute Couture gowns and the midnight blue casing has the canework motif signature to the brand engraved into it.
The shade I have is called Diorlywood Pink 565, however I've been doing some research and it's now called Trafalgar Pink 565. It's a lovely Fuchsia colour with purple tones, it's quite similar to my Lollipop Lip Butter, but with less shine. The lipstick is coated with pigments which help 'boost the radiance and depth of colour.' This lipstick has really good pigment and is very moisturising. It lasts up to about 3 hours before I have to top it up and it never dries out my lips. The only thing I'd say I didn't like about this product is the fragrance, I cant really describe what it smells like but it's quite strong.
The Rouge Dior lipsticks cost £25 and can be purchased here. It's pretty expensive for a lipstick and I'm not sure I'd pay that myself.
I've been a fan of the Aussie range for years as I love the smell and the way it leaves my hair full and shiny. When I was in Boots the other day I noticed that they had a new limited edition range out called 'Colour Mate' which helps protect coloured hair from chemical damage. It also protects it from any damange from the sun and the sea, so I thought it would be the perfect holiday shampoo. It contains Australian Wild Peach extract which deeply conditions hair, leaving it with 'radiant shine and vitality' and smells lovely too! They cost £4.49 each at boots but I got them in a deal which was any 3 Aussie products for £10.
As it was 3 for £10 in Boots, I chose the Miracle Colour Insurance Leave-In Conditioner. This product will also be coming on holiday with me as its great for the beach or at the pool so your hair doesn't dry out in the sun. It also contains Australian Wild Peach extract and Advocado Oil which detangles coloured hair and leaves it vibrant and manageable. If you want to buy it on its own it's also £4.49 from Boots.
Now for my favourite ever Aussie products! The purple Aussie products are from America and smell even better than the ones from here. Every time I visit America I always make sure I purchase some Aussie products. My favourite products from the range are the Aussome Volume hair spray and styling mousse. Unfortunately they are both empty. The styling mousse has extracts of White Ginger and gives you maximum hold. I put this mousse in before I dry my hair and it gives it great volume and leaves it smelling amazing. I then like to finish off my style with the hair spray which also gives maximum hold and leaves my hair in place all day/night. They both cost $3.16 from Walmart which is much cheaper than what we pay here for Aussie products. I'll definitely be stocking up the next time I'm in America!
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