Laura Mercier Paint Wash Liquid Lip Colour in Fuchsia Mauve

This is a new release from Laura Mercier, it is described as a intense, creamy colorful liquid demi-matte lipstick.

This liquid lipstick comes in 10 shades but this shade Fuchsia Mauve just totally stood out to me, it is a purple based fuchsia. It is STUNNING. 

I would quite like to get my hands on Petal Pink which is a lovely everyday pink, but I thought I would start off with one to see how I liked the formula. 

I really like this, but I wouldn't say its perfect...

The pros- the colour selection is great, it is very comfortable to wear- it is never drying and the pigmentation is out of this world.

This is literally one swipe. No building up required, it is full on pigment from the get go. 

It is easy to apply and I really like the applicator, in a way  it reminds me a little bit of the Urban Decay concealer- it holds a nice amount of product and the wand is fairly flexible.

It is really quite easy to apply as well- there really are a lot of positives about this lipstick.

The negatives I have found is that it can get on my teeth, when I apply it I do layer it up slightly just so I feel like its neat, so maybe I am putting too much on, but it is quite slidey so it does transfer onto my teeth. 

After it has settled down a bit after 10-15 mins, I'm generally okay, but I do have to do the whole 'finger in the mouth' trick several times to make sure I wipe it off the inside of my lips.

I think the issues I have do generally subside after about 15 mins, but I would just suggest being careful.

I wouldn't recommend quickly putting this on say, straight before a meeting, in case you're left a little messy...give it time to settle.

It can pool a bit around the corners of my mouth so I do use a cotton bud to dab off any excess- just be careful of these things, but again I may just be using to much. 

I would suggest a lip liner (Urban Decay Venom works nicely) as the first time I wore it I noticed a little bit of bleeding...but weirdly not the second or third time..

This is demi-matte so it does retain a little bit of sheen, I reckon the lighter shades would be a lot easier to use, its always trickier going for a darker colour that's not totally matte.

Also note that this does transfer if you drink a coffee. 

It's not going to end up all over your face, but you might need a touch up or get a clean mug.  

  Honestly I am not bashing this product- I am so glad I have it, it is comfortable and the colour is gorgeous, but I have to let you know all the pros and cons so you are well informed in case you were thinking about picking one up! 

Once it has had time to settle on your lips, it does become a lot less high maintenance, but I wouldn't grab this last minute if I was in a hurry.

It lasts very well and is definitely up there with some of the comfiest liquid lipsticks I have ever tried and it is really nice to add a demi-matte LL to my collection. 

I will one hundred percent pick up the pink shade, I think it will be less problematic due to it being a lighter colour.  

Have any of you tried the Laura Mercier new liquid lipsticks?

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If You Can Find It, Buy It : Nars Douceur

Okay, I will start this off by saying I do feel really mean for talking about this product...

Nars Douceur is one of my favorite blushes of all time- it is a gorgeous pink tinged brown that looks beautiful with all types of make up- minimal looks to heavy smokey eyes and bold lips.

The formula is incredible- it applies quite sheer but it can be built up- but it just means that you can't really overdo it. I have never ended up with any harsh lines.

This was my first ever Nars product- I have bought blushes since but this still remains the best.

There still seems to be some confusion as to whether this is discontinued or not.

I bought this at Christmas time and that time everyone was saying it was discontinued- but I found it on ASOS and even now it is still listed as permanent on Temptalia and one of the ladies I spoke to on the Nars counter still had them in stock- but they are not on display- so even though you can't see it, maybe ask. 

 I know it doesn't look like a whole lot of fun in the pan, but trust me, it acts as a blush and a bronzer all in one. It is beyond me why this would ever be discontinued!

 If Douceur appeals to you- have a look for it- ask around.

If you can find it, buy it.

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A glimpse of what is coming up....

Hello Everyone.

Just a quick little post here to show you what will be up on the blog soon!

I was feeling quite spendy in town on Saturday, so I picked up a few bits and bobs.

I have yet to try the new Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze on my cheeks, but I swatched it in SpaceNK and holy crap it is stunning.

Here's hoping it looks as beautiful on the face otherwise I have made a very expensive mistake! 

 I have played with the Laura Mercier Paint Wash Liquid Lip Colour in Fuchsia Mauve- what a stunning colour!

You can see I have two little Elemis samples - the Papaya Enzyme Peel and the Pro- Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm, I picked them up in this months Marie Claire- definitely track a MC down if you can, I have only used these two a couple of times but so far so good.

All in all there are some beautiful things here so if you are interested, keep checking in as they will all be reviewed fully on the blog very soon! 

Have a good week everyone, 

XXX

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Liz Earle : Brushes

I can't believe it's taken me this long to do a post on brushes!

I love brushes....it is a weakness, but as oppose to just listing my favorites, I thought I should categorize them into brands.

Here we have the Liz Earle offering.

I LOVE these.

All of these brushes are synthetic, cruelty free, beautiful to look at, incredibly soft and I have yet to experience any shedding.

Lets start with the Powder Brush:

This is my newest one and I have wanted it for the longest time.

This works best with all powders- mineral foundation/bronzer/setting powder.

I don't use it to set under my eyes as it's a bit too big but honestly it is divine.

It's just so flipping soft.

I washed this for the first time last night- like the other 2 I have this washes so well.

It doesn't splay out of shape and it dries quickly.

The Blush Brush :

This is quite a dense brush so I don't use it for my really pigmented blushes as it tends to add too much product, but for sheerer blusher formulas it is lovely.

I have to say though I prefer it for other purposes- it makes a lovely liquid foundation brush.

It is so soft so a pleasure to use and the angle at which it is cut makes it super easier to manipulate foundation around the nose/eyes.

Also lovely for applying pressed powder foundations. 

The Blend & Contour Brush 

I use this everyday! I have had this for about a year and a half and it still hasn't shed and it has kept its shape and softness.

I have washed this LOADS and it is still good as new.

I use this every time I apply cream eye shadow to blend out the edges and the same goes with powder eye shadow. 

Also it works well at applying a nice wash of colour all over the lid.

I get a lot of use out of the Liz Earle brushes and they really are some of my favorites! I can't sing their praises high enough.

They are just so, so soft and they never shed.

Possibly the best thing is that they are actually quite affordable!

The Eye brush is £12.50, Blush £15.00 and Powder £20.00.

When you compare these to other brands out there - Mac or Bobbi Brown for example- these are a lot cheaper and just as good if not better!

PS- my favorite brush cleaner is the Liz Earle Shampoo- cleans these up beautifully and all the others in my collection, synthetic or not.

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Mac Soar Lip Liner and Mehr Lipstick : Swatch and Review

These two items seem to be forever out of stock, I knew they were so hard to come by that to be honest...I wasn't that bothered by them.

I have my Charlotte Tilbury lip liner in 'Pillow Talk' so I wasn't super bothered about tracking Soar down, but something just happened to me in the shop the other day....

I was mooching round Mac in London St Pancras, I saw it on the shelf and literally grabbed it before anyone else had the chance.

I felt like I had achieved something by grabbing one of the few remaining that I thought it was fair to treat myself to Mehr. I saw Lily Pebbles wear it in this video and it looks gorgeous on her- and Soar and Mehr are meant to be friends, and to be honest that is enough justification for me to buy both.

All the hype aside- I am really enjoying these two products! Both are very natural and both are matte- I don't think I really own any colour like this in a matte formulation, so they are both getting a lot of wear. 

Lets start with Soar.

On the Mac website this colour is described as a 'mid tone pinkish brown' so it does fit into that 'your lips but better' thing and yes, if you do want to slightly over line your lips- you really can do that with this.

The colour is lovely and I think it looks great all over the lips.

Due to it being matte- it is long lasting and obviously creates a more realistic overdraw as glossy products highlight where your lips end.

This reminds me a lot of Bobbi Browns Art stick in Rose Brown - I feel if you have one you don't necessarily need the other- which is useful as Rose Brown is generally easier to find than Soar.

I do have both. but I also have hoarder problems, so we will move on. 

Here is Soar all over the lips:

I really like this. Do I like it more than my CT Pillow Talk? No, I don't think so...but my love affair with PT has been going on for nearly a year so it's tough competition!

But yes, a lovely lip liner, and I will get a lot of use out of this. 

Onto Mehr.

Look how pretty!
In this picture I am only wearing Mehr, a 'dirty blue pink' a matte lipstick that looks lovely with or without Soar. It is lighter without the lip liner and would make a brilliant everyday lipstick.

Even though it's matte, its not particularly drying and it has great wear time. 

I am happy I have this. 

Here are the swatches side by side to give you some idea of difference:

L- R: Mehr and Soar

You can see that Soar is browner.
I think if you can get your hands on these-check them out!
I reckon most people will get a lot of use out of them.
If you can't, I wouldn't worry too much, I can see some similiarities in my stash- the ones that come to mind are CT Pillow Talk, Rimmel East End Snob, Bobbi Brow Rose Brown.
When in Mac I thought the lipstick in 'Brave' was quite similar too.

Here is Soar all over the lips with Mehr on top:

Bottom Line : These two products are long lasting and very day time appropriate.

I love that I can apply them and not be super paranoid that it's wearing off or is all over my teeth. 

Have you tried either one of these products?

Soar has really added to my (almost getting out of hand) lip liner addiction....would anyone like to see a post on my favorite liners?

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Quick, Prettyfying Make Up

Is prettyfying a word? For the sake of this blog post, we'll just say it is.

If you're reading this, I'm guessing you're also a lover of all things beauty.

I love the creativity, the new products or rocking a kinda weird kooky look and making it wearable, but there are times when I just want to use products that are more 'prettyfying'.

You know, just adds to your natural beauty- I find these products make me look healthy and natural, in a quick and easy way.

Lets start in order of application:

Dior Glow Maximizer : Like name like nature. I don't use this all the time, but when I do, I use it all over my face like a primer and it adds such luminosity.

When you see it swatched it literally looks like a liquid highlighter- which it can be used as, but under make up it just brightens up my face. 

Lovely.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua : I have already talked about this product so I wont bang on, but it is one of my favorite bases- light, natural, glowy but not overly so and it feels very comfortable on the skin.

No caking, no sitting in pores, its beaut.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer : This is probably the best concealer I have, read a full review here.

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder : I'm so glad I managed to take a picture of this as I've just hit pan. 

I was never into powders up until trying this.

I have dry skin so the idea of setting my make up with powder just feels kinda gross to me...but I thought I would invest in a high end powder and I really like it! I use this every day to set my concealer under my eyes and to be honest ever since I started doing that I cant fathom that I didn't before.

It mattifies the slight sheen from my concealer so hence makes it look like I have added a hint more coverage. I use it down the side of my nose and it does mattify were shine isn't wanted, but it is never cakey. 

It is very important to add this step here as I am using a lot of glowy products, so this is needed to take any of the shine away from unflattering areas, for example the nose/forehead etc.

Benefit Brow-Zing : As you can see- I have hit pan here! As I have used it daily for over a year, I think I am doing pretty well. The little brushes are very useful, I use the angled brush for the wax and then with the flat brush add the powder- you end up with lovely, natural looking brows.

I need quite a bit of brow help so I never go without this.

I cannot stand blocky/harsh eyebrows- this does not produce them.

Benefit Gimme Brown : I use this everyday to set my brows, read a full review here

Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curlers : Because I have the worlds straightest lashes.

Nars Eyeliner in Via Veneto : I use black eyeliner EVERYDAY- it is a non negotiable.

However, I only use it to tightline- if you don't know what that means, I just line my upper water line.

After I've curled my lashes so the curlers don't rub it off, I just add this and it helps to thicken up my super fine lashes. If you haven't tried before- it may feel weird, but give it a go. I guarantee you will be amazed by how much more defined your eyes look, in the most subtle way.

Also- if you want to wear make up at school and you aren't allowed/your male  and you want to wear a bit of make up but not have it look obvious- try this as well.

This Nars one is quite new to me, a full review is on its way.

Benefit They're Real : You can see I'm having a bit of a Benefit moment!

Read the full review here. 

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon : When I'm trying to do pretty in a hurry I use this after my mascara. Why you ask?

Because I'm messy.

Pretty much everytime I use mascara I end up with a little bit of smudging just behind my lashes- not like eye liner, no just a smudge and it really annoys me.

I often can't be bothered to wipe it off as that can make the matter worse, so I swipe the tiniest, lightest line behind my eyelashes and then blend with a finger.

It hides the smudge and leaves me with subtle, shimmery bronze lids.

For a swatch, click here. 

L-R: Mary Lou-Manizer, Pink Coral, Dior Glow Maximiser, Clarins Lip Perfector 

Bobbi Brown Pink Coral Blush : Read a full review here

The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer : Use this with caution! This is very easy to over do, but I like to use a fan brush and sweep this beautiful champagne highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones, round of sides of my eyebrows in a C-shape and the cupids bow.

If you use a light hand you will look gorgeous and glowy- and you have already helped yourself out by using a matte blush so things don't get OTT.

This product is so damn smooth and buttery I just kept touching it when I first got it.

It is a stunner, but be careful otherwise it will look incredibly obvious.

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Balm Perfector in Rose: I'm sorry you can barely see the swatch on my arm- it is a very transparent colour that just adds the slightest hint of pink.

I love lipsticks- but can take time to apply/can be high maintenance. I LOVE lip liners as well but when I just don't have time or patience I put a bit of this on and it makes my lips look moisturized and just healthy.

I think I might prefer the lip gloss version but I am yet to make up my mind on that...

It's just a nice hint of pink that you can apply as you're leaving the house.

This may seem like a lot of steps but trust me- I can do this pretty quickly!

Do you have any tips on hour to be pretty in a hurry?

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My Favorite Matte Palette : Charlotte Tilbury 'The Sophisticate'

This was my first eye shadow quad from Charlotte Tilbury, I got it for my birthday a year and a half ago, and it is still a favorite.

It's definitely one of my most loved palettes of hers.

I have used this heaps of times and I haven't hit pan yet!

This palette features a matte ivory, matte light brown/camel shade, matte mushroom grey and a dark brown that has the tiniest amount of micro shimmer in- very hard to see and I reckon it's just there to aid blend-ability.

I do class this as entirely matte.

I use the first two shades all the time, I take the ivory all over the lid and then take the camel through the outer corners and blend into the crease and on the lower lashline.

Even when I go the full whack as Charlotte suggests, you end up with this gorgeous matte chocolate smokey eye.

This palette is very aptly named- it is Sophisticated.

The shadows are very smooth, pigmented and blendable, which is incredible hard to find in a matte.

The swatches below are from just one swipe

I do own a lot of eye shadows- it's not really something that I finish often, but I hand on heart feel, that if I ever finish this palette, I would repurchase.

It's timeless.

Also if you are slightly more mature and you often get fed up that almost all eye shadow palettes are very shimmery and that's something you don't feel confident wearing and hence would end up wasting your money on shades you'll never use- look into this.

Bottom Line : My favorite matte formulation thus far. Long wearing, creamy and easy to use shadows in a compact where I use every single shade. Not one colour remains untouched.

Worth every penny. 

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