Valentines Makeup Idea's.

I know not all of you 'celebrate' Valentines Day or even like it. But for some of us, it's just a lovely day to treat your partner a little, show them some tlc and generally have a nice time. I do have plans with my boyfriend to go out for a meal which is always nice as we don't get to do it too often!

I thought i'd create a Valentines Day makeup look that you could use for inspiration as it's always nice to jazz your makeup up a little bit especially if you're going out. I rarely wear eyeshadows so i thought this would be a perfect time to incorporate some colour.. 

Makeup used:  Foundation - Estee Lauder Double Wear set with Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation.  Concealer - Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection     Bronzer - Nars 'Casino'     Eyeshadow - Mac Cranberry (lid), Brown Down (crease), Black Tied (liner)     Eyebrows - MUA Brow Kit     Lipstick - YSL Rouge Volupte 'Forbidden Burgandy'. 

Or, if like me you feel like bright colour on the eyes and lips is a bit too much then you can always opt for a nude lip... 

Lipstick - Look Beauty 'Toffee Cup'.

Personally i prefer the nude lip especially if you're going out to eat as it's much easier to maintain. I'm definitely going to be sporting this makeup look this Valentines Day. 

Hope you like! And if you're not doing anything specifically for Valentines Day this might just be a little inspiration for you to be a little more daring with your makeup and get glammed up a little ;)

These are a few of my favourite things..

Hello all! Hope you're having a fab new year. Any New Years Resolutions? Mine, as usual, have gone to pot (don't know why i bother!). I'm just going to focus on being happy and passing these bloody exams.

I was so undecided on whether to do a 2012 Favourites, i love reading them myself but, i'm not one to constantly use something. I swap and change my products every two seconds so trying to find favourites for the majority of a year was too hard. So here a just a few things i have been loving (some for longer than others)..

Makeup

MAC Eyeshadow Palette - i first started this last christmas and continued building it up in 2012 until i finally finished it! I absolutely adore this little collection of eyeshadows, there is a wide range of colours (all of which i love). I love grabbing it and having lots of lovely, good quality eyeshadows all in one place. And despite there being 15 eyeshadows it isn't too bad for travelling.

Real Techniques Brushes - I have only pictured the Stippling Brush here but i also have the Core Collection which i absolutely adore. I rarely use any other brushes since i got these. Affordable, amazing quality, easy to wash, easy to use, the list goes on..

Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil - this has been the only thing i have used on my brows throughout 2012, i think i have found a new favourite now but nevertheless this is the perfect colour, easy to carry around and easy to apply. I simply use it in little stoke motions to fill in my brows and they instantly look miles better. It lasts all day too.

Nars 'Casino' Bronzer - This must be the darkest bronzer i've ever used, which personally is great for my tanned skin as it makes the most perfect contour. I regularly reach for this despite having other bronzers i cant help myself. It just does everything it's supposed to do.

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Powder - A favourite for years. I did neglect this for quite a while but i can't help but love the way it sets my makeup without adding lots of coverage or looking cakey. It simply mattes the skin whilst still looking very natural. You could apply lots of this without it going cakey so i usually always have this in my handbag for touch ups.

Avon SuperShock Eyeliner - i love the SuperShock mascara for Avon so i obviously had to try this, it has the most amazing pigmentation (i have never used an eyeliner so black!) This is perfect for a night out and smokey eyes. Its so soft and creamy its perfect for smudging.

Beauty

Tresemme Hairspray - This is literally all i have used for years. Definitely a firm favourite for me. It sets the hair without leaving my hair feeling rock hard - love it.

The Body Shop Body Butter - i've pictured the Almond one here (probably my absolute favourite ever) but i also adore the Coconut and Mango ones. They're so luxurious and creamy, such a delight to put on. I find them amazing for dry skin without being too sticky and the scent is so strong to leave me feeling fab. I apply these every single day.

Juicy Couture Perfume - The scent of 2012 for me and i've had it once before. I find it's such a lovely, strong but not overpowering scent. It's not very floral or fruity like the ones i usually go for it's a bit more mature and i love giving myself a good few spritz of this before i go anywhere.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel - If i had to recommend any moisturiser for combination/oily skin, this would be it. Its so light and cooling yet gives enough moisture without being too much. Perfect, enough said.

Natural Collection Body Spray - Definitely a little bargain at £2 and definitely something i have been reaching for a lot last year. They're perfect on a day-to-day basis for making you smell gorgeous in a subtle way.

MAC Fix+ - Not something i use everyday but definitely comes in very handy for nights out or more dramatic makeup looks. I use this on my eyeshadow brush to make my eyeshadows appear more pigmented and bright, it also makes the shimmer/glitter stand out more. I also spray it onto my face when i've done all my makeup to help it look less full/cakey and more natural.



Well, that was a pretty long post. Just a few of the things i grab for the most and definitely all things that i have been reaching for regularly for quite a long time.

What are you're favourite items that you reach for often?

FOTD: Purple Crazyyyy!

Hey all! On monday i missed my makeup monday FOTD because i've been so busy and just didn't have any looks to share with you. But i have a makeup look i'm dying to post because i love it so much and think you lot might too so i decided to post it today. 

I finally finished my MAC 15 palette (finally!) and i'm really happy with it. One of my last purhcases for it was 'Shale' due to lots of recommendations on twitter and a rather appealing swatch. I instantly fell in love and it looks even better on the eyelids. It's so gorgeous and goes perfectly with 'Sketch' (another favourite) which is how i've wore it here.. 

Face

Mac Match Master foundation

Mac Studio Fix powder 

Nars 'Casino' bronzer

Natural Collection 'Peach Melba' blusher

Eyes

Mac 'Groundwork' paint pot (base)

Mac 'Shale' (like) 'Sketch' (crease & lower lash line) 'Black Tied' (liner & outer corner)

Avon SuperShock mascara

Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil 'Black Brown'

Lips

Mac 'Hang Up' lipstick applied lightly

I absolutely love this makeup for a night out, i feel so glamorous! Add a pair of falsies and you're good to go ;) 

Nadia xox

Bargain: MUA Blusher - 'Shade 6'!

We all love a good bargain, don't we?! Well i have one for you today. MUA blushers cost only £1 (you can get them online or from Superdrug). MUA are known for their cheap yet good quality products and this is no exception.

The blushers come packaged in a long, thin see-through case made of plastic so you can easily see the colour through. They are so small and sleek which makes them good for travelling with. For the price the packaging is really nice and good quality. No complaints so far..

As for the colour, this is what attracted my eye straight away. In pan in looks like a plum infused with lots of gold shimmer. But when transferred to the face it's much more purple (the pink tones aren't really evident) although it still manages to look pretty natural. It blends into the skin easily and adjusts to your skintone to give you a lovely deep, glow. The shimmer appears on the lighter parts of your cheek (cheekbones) so it's like a highlighter and blusher in one - pretty and timesaving!!

When looking at this blusher in store it reminded me of a certain Nars blusher that i have my eye on... 'Sin'. So obviously i had to buy it. 'Sin' is also a purple/plum shade with lots of gold shimmer. I can't say they are exact dupes because i don't own them both but looking at swatches online they are really similar. MUA do some great high-end dupes and i'm so glad i got my hands on another. It has definitely  saved me £20. Who needs 'Sin' now?..

I've heard lots of good things about MUA's blushers and this one definitely lived up to my expectations. It's highly pigmented so i do have to be careful not to add too much to my brush as it can be easily built up but once it's on, it's on. I find sometimes the purple in the blusher doesn't come out as bright as i'd like and may be slightly overpowered by the shimmer so i add a little spray of MAC Fix+ to my brush and this really helps to bring out the colour even more.

As you can tell, i highly praise this blusher and don't really have any faults with it. My only criticism would be the fact it does create a lot of fallout. The powder is so smooth and soft that a lot of excess powder can occur - i just pat this up with my brush and use that on my cheeks. So it isn't too much of a problem and can definitely be excused considering the £1 price tag.

Have you tried this blush or any of MUA's? What do you think of them?

Sleek Purchases: Eau La La Liner & 'Rose Gold' Blush.

Hello! I have two makeup itemstoday both from Sleek. I bought these quite a long while ago now but have never got round to blogging about them. 

I shared my first ever Sleek purchase here and on the same day i went and ordered these off the website! Delivery was fairly fast and i was really happy with the service. 

Eau La La Liner - 293 Raisin. 

These liners are meant to be useable on the eyes, lips, eyebrows or anywhere on the body you wish. There are 19 colours available so far. I went for 'Raisin' due to the fact i was looking for a purple eyeliner at the time but i also thought it'd be a good lipliner with plum lipsticks and a good base for a purple smokey eye! It unfortunately isn't too great for eyeliner as it's a plum - red based - so it can make eyes look really bloodshot/tired (not nice!). But, it is very long lasting, hard to smudge and opaque in one swipe which is good. 

When looking at reviews of these people said when they received theirs the led inside the pencil was loose and came out a little bit. I had this problem with mine but it isn't too bad you just push it back in and it should be okay! 

Blush - Rose Gold

Here we have what i think must be one of Sleeks most popular blushes. I could never find it in store and it was sold out for a long time online, this is because it's a really good dupe of the much loved Nars 'Orgasm' blusher. Looking at swatches online it's pretty much exactly the same. 

'Rose Gold' is a pink blusher with lots of gold shimmer. This makes it a perfect blush and highlight in one as it adds a flush of pink but the shimmer highlights the cheekbones. I find this blush needs a bit of building for the colour to show up quite opaque - but maybe this is because i have a darker skintone. I think it'll suit all skintones though (especially paler). 

So, if you're looking for a good, cheap dupe of Nars's 'Orgasm' then Sleek is definitely the place to go! After buying this i can safely say i will not be investing in 'Orgasm'. 

Have you tried any of these products? Or Sleek in general? What do you think? :) 

Makeup Monday: Lush Event!

Hello, as always on a Monday i'm showing you a FOTD! Please let me know if you like these every Monday. I'm hoping these help - i may tempt you into buying a new product or show you how to use a product you already own!

Anyway, i did a post on the Lush 'Emotional Brilliance' event i attended here it was such a good night. I love the makeup i wore this evening it's probably becoming my go-to makeup whenever i go anywhere half decent. It lasts all night long and i love the way it looks!

Face

17 Miracle Matte Primer (t-zone)

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (applied with Real Technique's Pointed Foundation brush on 'problem area's - under-eye, nose, spots and blended)

Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation Powder (applied with Real Technique's Buffing brush all over the face)

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer (under the eyes)

Nars 'Casino' bronzer (contour - cheekbones, nose and jawline)

No7 'Peach' Skin Illuminator (blended onto tops of cheeks and centre of nose)

Natural Collection 'Peach Melba' Blusher

Eyes

Une Skin Glow Pencil - shade G02 (applied on waterline, inner tear-duct and around eyebrows to define)

Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil (colour in eyebrows)

Avon Supershock mascara & George X-tend mascara (post here)

Lips

MAC 'Please Me' lipstick.

Now i've wrote that down it does look like a lot of products.

What do you think? Do you use any of these products? What's your secret to long-lasting makeup?