Outfit: Mint & Lace!

Hello, i have another outfit for you today and another one lined up! I hope you're enjoying the mix of fashion & beauty -  i'm really trying to take more outfit photo's when i have the time (and when i look half decent!).

We've had a bit of a heatwave in England recently which i have been LOVING, absolutely loving! It's sort of made up for the fact i'm not going on a summer holiday this year, so i've been making the most of it and sunbathing. And i even used suncream which is unusual for me as i very rarely use it, but i'd rather protect my skin whilst i can!

Anyway, i wore this to my final exam - woohoo - so expect more regular posts again! Then i went on a small shopping spree in Manchester but expect that in future posts...

I'll start off by confessing this whole outfit (apart from the watch) is all from PRIMARK! Yes, good ol' Primark has blessed me with this cheap and cheerful summer outfit! And please excuse the scuffs on my dollies, this was the first time i wore them too!

Anyway i hope you like my cute, girlie summer outfit, with a mix of lace and mint (a favourite colour of mine and the moment). The dress is so comfortable and is the perfect almost knee-length with a little underdress so you can't see my nickers - always helpful! The belts come in a pack of two with a coral colour too, perfect for summer and i can't wait to mix this dress up with different coloured accessories.

Battle of the moisturisers: Clinque vs Aldi!

I thought i'd share these two moisturisers - one 'high-end' and one bargain product! I thought doing reviews of them would be a bit boring so as i use these both daily i decided to put them up against eachother ;)

 Clinique's dramatically different moistursing gel is £29 for 125ml
 Lacura (Aldi's brand) multi-intensive serum is £3.49 for 50ml.

 So, is it really worth paying more? 

Clinque: This is a gel moisturiser - which is better for my oily skin than a cream. The gel is really lightweight and applies easily to the skin. One - one & a half pumps provides the right amount of moisture for my whole face and doesn't leave me feeling greasy atall. This is a great base for my makeup as it doesn't provide too much hydration so my makeup lasts longer! However this can take a lot of getting used to if you're used to thicker more moisturising creams sometimes i feel my skin needs that little bit more moisture. I'm not too keen on the smell of this aswell, although it's not detectable once absorbed into the skin.

Lacura: This a serum for all skin types, it's a cream consistency but is still very lightweight and not thick atall. I find inbetween a half and one pump (awkward i know) is more than enough to hydrate my entire face and again doesn't leave me feeling greasy. It provides long-lasting moisture however because it is slightly thicker than the Clinique one my skin gets slightly oilier through day but it's not a massive problem atall i can just use a little less. This cream smells gorgeous - it smells so fresh and 'clean' - i can't describe it but the smell is lovely believe me (once absorbed it is undetectable).
 

Left: Lacura Multi Intensive Serum                  Right: Clinique Moisturising Gel

Overall these are both so similar - both hydrating yet not too hydrating for my oily skin, both light and absorb into the skin quickly. The main difference is the price tag and the smell - both of these the Lacura serum wins hands down!  At the moment i used the Clinique in a morning before my makeup and the Lacura one applied more liberally as a more intense night time treat.

The Clinque gel is probably better if you have oily skin like me, but i don't think it is dramatically better! I don't think i will be repurchasing the Clinique moisturising gel unless i have a spare £30 as i think there are cheaper moisturisers - like the Lacura serum - that do virtually the same thing!

So, if you're oily skinned both these do the trick i would recommend them both but obviously the Lacura serum is far more purse friendly and suitable for all skintypes whether you have dry or oily skin i think it'd be great :)

Hope this has been slightly more interesting than a straight review, or maybe not haha!

So, how much are you willing to spend on moisturiser? Are you prepared to splash the cash or do you look for cheaper alternatives?

Night time makeup: Smokey eye!

In my my last post (here) i shown you an outfit i wore to party, in this post i'm going to show you how i did my makeup! At the moment i have been loving smokey eyes - day and night. I am forever playing with makeup and kind of make it up as i go along. So, here is what i came up with.. 

Face:

Foundation - Estee Lauder's Double Wear and Revlon Colorstay on top (thin layers of each - so long lasting!)

Concealer - MAC Studio Fix.

Setting Powder - MAC Blot Powder.

Contour - loose powder a few shades too dark.

Bronzer - MUA Bronzer in Shade 1. 

Blusher - MAC's 'Fleur Power'.

Eyes:

Base - MAC Paintpot in 'Groundwork' with a black eyeliner on top (smudged across lid and into crease).

Lid colour -MAC's 'Twinks'.

Crease colour - MAC's 'Brown Down'.

Highlight - MAC's 'Dazzlelight' (inner corner) Vivo Matte Eyeshadow 'Sandstorm' (browbone).

Eyeliner - Avon's Supershock gel eyeliner pencil (tightline and waterline).

Eyebrows: Avon double-ended kajal stick (brown end).

Lips:

Liner: NYX lip pencil in 'Natural'.

Lipstick: Lacura (Aldi's brand) lipstick '415 -Pink Rose'.

Ta-daaah - perfect night time look and it doesn't take too long either! This look stayed put all night i swear!

A BIG HUGE THANKYOU!

Yes, you guessed it, this post is purely to say 'thankyou' to each and every one of you! 

I have recently reached 100 followers, which has made me a very happy girl!

Again, i'd just like to say thankyou to my followers and all the support & lovely comments you guys have left for me. My emails come through to my phone and whenever i receive one saying someone has commented on my blog it truly does make me smile! 

This tine last year i was umm'ing and aah'ing whether to make a blog of my own, now i'm so glad i have, it has become a huge part of my life and i no longer have to keep my makeup obsession stored up inside me - i can share it with you lot ;) 

 Here's a big cheesy grin to show you how happy i am:

Oh and also my lovely boyfriend has kindly bought my domain as a 'congratulations on reaching 100 followers' treat. So you are currently reading - www.dressingtabledelights.com - sounds good, right, i love it!

Lots of love

OOTN: Dipped Hems & Florals!

Hello all, thought i'd share an outfit with you today as i don't do that very often - mainly because of time and space. I am forever late/rushing everywhere so trying to take pictures never works and i also have no plain backdrops in my house to take a decent picture! Such a dilemma and setting up my tripod is a pain :( Anyway, enough moaning, onto the outfit..

Here's a nice little outake for you - not all pictures look like the onces above hahaa. God knows what i was saying!

Skirt - Primark

Top - Miss Selfridge (few seasons old)

Dolly Shoes - Primark

Necklace - Topman

I wore this to a house party on saturday so dolly shoes we're definitely needed to stay comfortable and not look overdressed although i think a nice pair of heels would have looked amazing too! 

Anyway, hope you like the outfit, i love this skirt from Primark it's so affordable! They also do it in black - which my friend was actually wearing. The dipped hem adds a nice twist to a rather plain skirt which is so versatile by the way. I think it was something like £8 which is much cheaper than like the likes of Topshop or River Island and the material is actually such good quality - it does not crease!!

So i hope you all had a lovely weekend, did you get up to anything much? And i'll also be sharing my makeup for this night next in case you're interested!

FOTD: 'Pin Up' Glamour!

Today i thought i'd show a quick look i've been wearing a lot recently. I've been loving the 'pin up' look - red lipstick and winged liner - for both day and night! I've seen it on a few tanned ladies recently: Rita Ora, Karis Anderson from Stooshe and Rihanna rocking this look so decided to give a shot myself! 

MAC Prolong wear Foundation

MAC Mineralise skinfinish natural powder

Blusher from the ebay blush palette (top row last on the right) - full post here

MAC 'dazzlelight' eyeshadow 

MAC 'blacktrack' gel eyeliner

Avon Supershock mascara

Avon ultra colour rich lipstick 'Red 2000'

MUA out there pluming lipgloss 'Buff'

I love this lipstick from Avon (available here)- it's extremely pigmented yet creamy and moisturising at the same. All you need is one layer and you have a full opaque bright red. I find this lipstick looks best when a light layer is applied with a lip brush. It lasts such a long time too. For £7 it's not expensive nor cheap - i found it on offer in the brochure - so keep an eye out!

MUA pumping lip glosses are great as they add a nice gloss to the lips without looking wet and they aren't sticky either which is a huge bonus (full review here)! The shade 'buff' is a nude colour - so it tones down the brightness of this lipstick slightly and makes my lips look shiny and full. 

I love this look - it's so classic and will suit everyone! I never thought i was much of a red lipstick girl but my opinion is slowly changing.. 

I even have another red lipstick to share with you soon ;)

What do you think?

MAC Studio Fix Foundation!

MAC Studio Fix Fluid - available from store/counter/online - £19.50

MAC says: 'A modern foundation that combines a natural matte finish and medium-buildable coverage with broad spectrum UVA/UVB SPF 15. Comfortable and long-wearing: lasts for up to eight hours. Applies smoothly, builds coverage quickly and easily. Contains specially treated micronized pigments and soft-focus powders for a super-smooth look that helps minimize the appearance of imperfections. Absorbs and disperses oil. Contains special skin-conditioning ingredients.'

You can see how well it covers that burn!

This was the first ever MAC foundation i ever bought and for a long while i completely fell out of love with it and abondaned it in my 'unused makeup box'. But recently i have seen a few bloggers wearing this foundation and looking completely flawless (jelous!) so i thought i'd give it another shot..

This foundation covers up imperfections with ease but the problem with this is it can look a bit cakey - not a good look. But with the right application i think this is great for nights out or days when you want to look flawless! I used my Sigma F80 (flat top kabuki) to apply this with a few spritz of MAC Fix+ on the brush. With this method i find i can apply less and buff it in to a nice, medium coverage for the day time or build it up to a full coverage for nights out. There really isn't much need for concealer with this foundation which is definitely a time saver. 

In terms of how long it lasts; i found it coped with my (very) oily skin for around 3/4 hours which isn't great but my t-zone is extremely oily so this is expected really! I think with a good primer and setting powder this could last a few more hours easily and people with normal/combination will find it last longer also. Even though my nose was really oily and shiny the foundation did not slide or disappear - i just patted away the excess with oil with a tissue and it still looked great after 7/8 hours - not bad!

I have this is an NC45 which is slightly to dark for me which means i can't use it daily! But i do think it blends into my skin quite naturally and i don't look like i have an orange mask on (at least i hope i don't) so it's more than great for nights out! My only problem with most MAC foundations is the yellow undertone is very strong and well, yellow so it doesn't look as natural as it could otherwise. 

There is not really much more i can say about this foundation - the coverage is great, with the right application it doesn't look 'fake'. It lasts a decent amount of time considering how oily my skin is - people with normal/combination skin will probably find it lasts slightly longer! I don't recommend it for people with dry skin as it is quite thick so will more than likely cling to any dry patches. It does dry to matte finish, but its more of a natural matte as MAC rightly claims. 

Would i re-purchase this? Probably not - Revlon Colorstay lasts just as long, the coverage is about the same and it's around £7 cheaper too! The only plus is MAC's huge colour range so you will get a perfect match, whereas with Revlon it may be slightly harder! 

Do i recommend it? For normal/combination skin it does make a good full coverage foundation and for £19.50 its cheaper than other MAC foundations.

Oh and i have heard this can dry skin out and makes people break out so try to test this out before committing to a full bottle. I have a got a foundation tester from MAC in the past when i have purchased another item - so just ask! 

MAC Eyeshadow 'Dazzlelight'

MAC Eyeshadow in 'Dazzlelight' - available online/store/counter - £12 normally or £10 for the refill pan.

Hi lovelies! I just wanted to share my love for this eyeshadow with you! As you can see it is cream, verging on white eyeshadow. It is almost a monochrome finish - it reflects different shades of pink and gold in the light depending on the angle. This looks so beautiful as a highlight or inner tear duct shade to really brighten the eyes! I absolutely love this shade and don't regret picking it up atall. As always MAC eyeshadows are extremely pigmented but i find this shade can be applied lightly for a nice sheen or built up to an opaque finish!  Swatched next to 'Shroom' it is virtually identical - the only difference is this is probably slightly lighter and leans more pink in the light. It contains very very small particles of shimmer which feels smooth and it no way gritty and makes it a perfect highlight shade.

This is such a great highlighter both for the eyes and the rest of the face! I would recommend this in a heart beat - it's lovely neutral highlight to have in my palette :) I think it could work great on all skintones!

Have any of you tried this eyeshadow? What do you think?

Oh and if you could recommend any MAC eyeshadows - preferably neutral/everyday colours for my stash please let me know, that'd be great!

Vivo Lipsticks - Nougat and Spiced Cinnamon

Nougat (left) and Spiced Cinnamon (right). 

Now i'm sure we've all heard about the brand 'Vivo' available from Tesco. I was intrigued by this brand for a long while - so a 3 for 2 offer was clearly the best time to try it out right ;) At the time i was a 'lippie newbie' - i had only just started to like wearing lipstick so, i picked up two lipsticks to try out (not knowing what to expect) and an eyeshadow i will show you another time. And at £1.99 each they don't exactly break the bank!

First we have a nude, 'Nougat':

This is the PERFECT nude for my skintone (nc42). I think for people with tanned/olive skin this is a great budget nude. I personally don't see the point in spending a lot of money on a 'nude' colour - i prefer to spend more on a good statement shade - so to me this is more than perfect.  It doesn't make lips look washed out or give the dreaded 'concealer lips' effect, it just mutes out your natural lip to colour to a nice pinky nude. It's great when you want less emphasis on the lips - when you have statement eye makeup or are going for a natural look. I'm definitely glad i picked this up, the colour is great and lasts a long enough time (3/4hours with no eating or drinking). It's also great for mixing with another colour, like a coral, to create a nice, subtle tint to the lips. Overall, for £1.99 i don't really think you can go wrong, the pigmentation isn't the best but nevertheless it is good (two coats = opaque colour) and Vivo also do a lighter nude shade ('Barely There') for those light-skinned beauties! 

Next up, 'Spiced Cinnamon':

This is a deep red/berry shade with a frost finish. To be honest, i'm too keen on the frost finish and think it would look miles nicer without the shimmer as it is such a flattering deep red. Some frost shades can really work, but i think the frost makes this look a little dated unfortunately :(. However, it is great to add a pop of colour. I find myself reaching for this on those days when i've got ready in like ten minutes, have the tiniest bit of makeup on and feel my face needs some colour. Would i re-purchase this? No, the frost really ruins it for me. Although the pigmentation in this is far better than 'Nougat' and it applies smoothly and easily! It lasts a long enough time (3/4hours) so other than the shade i can't really fault this. But if you like a frost finish then this could be for you! 

So overall i can't really criticise either of them, the both apply smoothly and evenly with no tugging. The price is amazing and the pigmentation isn't half bad either. If you're doing your weekly shop in Tesco i more than recommend you pick one up, a girl can never have too many lipsticks! Vivo have 9 shades in total - i have my eye on 'Coral flair' and 'Pink Pout' next ;)  

Vivo's blog have a complete swatch list -(http://vivocosmetics.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/vivo-lipstick-swatch-gallery.html)  and you can order these lippies online from the Vivo website - and they ship internationally too if you're interested! 

Seduce - Illamasqua Cream Blusher!

Illamasqua Cream Blusher - Seduce - £16.50 - available online (currently out of stock)/in store/counter

I absolutely love the names of Illamasqua's blushers - this one is called 'Seduce' and it really did reel me in. This was the first colour that caught my eye and upon swatching it i fell in love. 

I stupidly left the shop as i wasn't sure i wanted to spend £16.50 on a cream blusher and when i finally decided i wanted it a few hours later the shop was shut :'(

However, my lovely boyfriend surprised me with this a week later because he knew how bad i wanted it (THANKYOU MARK!!)

As you can see this is a bright, fuchsia pink - there is no other way to describe it! It has a 'dusky' tone to it as apposed to a 'neon' which i think means it is more wearable and natural looking! It may look bright in the pan but when applied to cheek it looks so natural and adds a healthy, dewy flush. What i love most is it can be worn, under foundation for a subtle glow or on top of foundation for a more vibrant effect. It can also be built up to the desired intensity, so it can be worn by all skin tones, light to dark.

I apply this with a stippling brush as i find this the best method, but you can apply it with your fingers or any other brush that you find works for yourself! It lasts all day - 8hours-ish on my oily skin - so i don't think anyone will have a problem with how long this lasts. But setting it with a powder blusher in a similar colour with obviously make this last even longer (perfect for a night out). Illamasqua's cream blushers have a dewy finish which i personally prefer, if i wanted a matte finish i'd rather just get a powder blusher to be honest. 

You can clearly see how natural it looks on the skin above, it adds the nicest hint of colour! I have fell out of love with pink blushers recently, opting for a peach/coral cheek, but i make an exception for this shade. The dusky finish is 100x more flattering than the more bright, neon options. 

Does this make me want to purchase more Illamasqua cream blushers? YES YES YES. 

I like the look of 'Crush' a deep plum shade!

Unfortunately Seduce is out of stock on Illamasqua's website for the time being :( 

Ooh La La it's a Topshop Lipstick

'Ooh La La' Available from Topshop in store (can't seem to see in online) - £8 

As you can see the is a bright coral with a hint of pink! If you're a fan of coral lippies then this will definitely be for you! Considering the whole blogging community was loving 'coral' i thought i'd join the bandwagon - i searched the boots counters for a 'nice' coral and couldn't find any - Barry M's shade 53 just was not flattering on my skintone atall! So, i was delighted when i walked into Topshop and found this - it's a gorgeous coral which  can be worn faint as a nice tint to the lips or built to a bright, statement shade!

I find this colour does tend to cling to dry skin on the lips slightly, so be careful, make sure you apply lipbalm before this! I find it can also apply a bit streaky so you do need to check this when applying - we don't want streaky lips now do we ;)
I've read reviews and apparently Topshop claims this is a matte shade - but it's not, it does have some shine. This isn't bad though as it means application is smooth and easy!

This lipstick isn't the most long lasting, but it does have pretty good staying power, it stays on the lips for around 2/3 hours! It cannot handle food and drink though - i think thats due to the creamy texture!

Overall i'm pretty pleased with the quality of this lipstick, it's £8 so not 'cheap and cheerful' but neither is it expensive! It's a good lipstick and i will purchase one from Topshop again - i have my eye on Brighton Rock ;)

Casual Outfit - Aztec Shorts & Baggy T-shirt.

Top - Topshop

Shorts - River Island

Tights - Primark

Shoes - Converse

Necklaces - Topman (metal chain) Topshop (bead/charm chain)

Just a quick outfit to show you today! This my 'everyday casual' look that i wear to college as it's comfy but i still look nice (well i hope i do ;)).  This shorts are so comfy and i love the simpleness of this outfit - i'm really getting into basics at the moment! 

And i have to apologise for wearing converse in every outfit ahaa, i just love them so much for everyday - they are by far my comfiest pair of shoes and go with everything! 

Anyway, hope you all have a lovely sunday and bank holiday <3