Weekly Rediscovery - Mac MSF's ♥

I apologise for lack of posts this week, ive started a new job so ive been busy doing various inductions and i'm so exausted its unbelievable!

With the lack of shopping time ive had the past couple of weeks (booo!) ,ive been enjoying rediscovering products that i already own.
I think i'm going to do a 'Weekly Redicovery' post every week as a bid to try and use what i have and not waste money buying more & more products.
Ive put myself on a no-makeup-buy-unless-absalutley-necessary untill after christmas, I can hear a mulberry roxanee calling my name! haha

This week ive been rediscovering and really enjoying using my MSF's. I hauled these, forgott about them & never really used them, which is a shame because they really are beautiful products!

In my opinion MSFs are the star of Mac products - pretty swirly multi - use products? yes please! shimmer isnt everyones cup of tea, but i love a bit of shimmer, especially in these winter months when my skins so dry.

They can be used as a highlighter, all over the face to give a glow, blush, bronzer and eyeshadow.

(Close up goodness!)

So far i have:
peticoat, By Candlelight, Comfort, Stereo rose, Porcelain Pink, Soft and Gentle, Ligt Flush, So Ceylon, Refined, Perfect topping and Warm Blend.

Clockwise:
Perfect topping - swirls of lilac, peach, taupe and cream.
Soft and gentle - light luminous gold (my FAVOURITE msf!)
By candlelight - Peachy gold

Clockwise:
So ceylon - Plumby brown
Warm blend - Swirls together to make a deep bronze.
Comfort - Matte light brown.

Clockwise:
Petticoat - Rasberry pink, slight bronze tones in it also.
Porcelain Pink - very sheer pink with golden sheen.
Refined - Luminous light peach (another FAVOURITE!)

Left to right:
Stereo rose - Red toned coral.
Light flush - Light rasberry pink with strong peach sheen.

A few random tips:
Use msf's wet to create a more foiled intense colour and sheen, they are baked so it wont ruin the product!
Apply with a small dense kabuki like Macs 181 for a more precise application.
Dont tap your brush on the side of the product, i did this and it smashed! They are so fragile.

Whats your favourite MSF?

OOTD - Family Meal ♥

(...pose time!)

Went out with all the family today for a good ol' english roast dinner.

I wanted to dress up because its very rare that all my family gets together, but i didnt want to look 'overdone' as we just went down to the local pub.
It was a quite weird day, in terms of weather - one minute it was sunny and quite hot, the next minute the sun went it and it was freezing cold!

I wanted an excuse to wear my new puff shoulder jacket from new look. It's the perfect legnth and flares out slightly at the bottom. I feel like a doll in it (:

Outfit:
Black bodycon skirt - Topshop
Peach lace top - Topshop
Sheer black tights - have no idea!
Black puff shoulder jacket - New Look (current season £35)
Pointy black suede shoes - Miss Selfidges

I tucked the lace top into my bodycon skirt to break the outfit up a little.
LOVE this lace top! Lace is probably my favourite thing to wear.

Accessories -
Tan sachel - Primark
Black ring - Primark

(Yay for primark! haha)
I wanted to wear my mulberry bayswater, but i ended up wearing this light tan slouchey satchel as i thaught if i wore my mulberry, i would be wearing far too much black.
I also kept my accesories simple. Just wearing this chunky black ring and that is all.

Hello to all my new followers!
i'm going to do a small giveaway soon, so look out for that (:

Beauty Blender Review ♥

Ive been raving about this in a few of my posts and this deffinitely deserves a review of its own.
See this little pink sponge below? it works mirricals.

Id seen alot of reviews of this hot pink sponge all over and i was intrigued. I was slightly dubious of its (...rather cheesey) claims, shich were to 'modernise the way you make up' and how 'you can look like a movie star without the pricey services of a major make up artist'.
I thaught it would just be one of those gimmicky things that, in reality do nothing.

I'm a sucker for gimmickey things, so i baught.

When i opened the envelope, i was quite suprised to see how small it was. I was expecting something alot more bigger
(...things always look bigger online, dont they? No pun intended).
After scanning the instructions, i did as it said and ran it under some water and squeezed out the excess. It expands by nearly double its size which then covers more surface area and also stops it soaking up your foundation.

Left - before. Right - after.

The texture of the sponge is quite weird, I was expecting quite a scratchy sponge - Think bath sponges - but this is the softest thing ive felt!
On the website they even say 'Its suede texture is sensual to the touch' and I agree.

Its very squishy and has a tapered end, which i assume is ment for concealer and getting around the nose and other hard to reach places that a brush couldnt get to.

I find this sponge really makes foundation appliction 2x faster and well, more 'enjoyable', as i dont really want to be buffing foundation into the skin for 5 minuites untill my arm aches at 6am in the morning haha. This sponge litterally had cut my foundation application down to literally a minite. yay!
It desperses the product fast and evenly on the face with no streaks what so ever.This is down to its 'patent-pending elliptical shape' which makes it special to the normal quare shaped sponges.

What i like best about the sponge is it can be used with cream products, liquid products,concealer, powder foundation and cream blush, Ive even used the tapered bit to apply benefit's high beam and it worked fab. So nect time i go on holiday, this will be coming with me as it does lots of jobs in one.

I got some cleanser with it, but ive found that using just warm water and just any mild shampoo works just as well.

I dont think these are avilable in the UK (grrr) but you can find them on eBay (...which is where i got mine...) for around £20 for 2 sponges + cleaner sachets and they last about 7 months a sponge, from experience.

So, overall, i REALLY recommend you try this!
Have you got a Beauty Blender? What do you think?

Top 5 Foundations For Winter ♥

I admit, i'm a foundation fiend.
Its bad i know, but i seem to have an obsession with finding the 'perfect foundation',
I like my skin to look even, clear and flawless because in my mind, if your skin is flawless, everything else looks great.
No matter how much pennies it costs me, i will pay...you cant put a price on gorgeous skin, right?
I'm always on the search for that 'better' foundation, my latest lemming is Guerlein's Lingerie de Peau.
Better start saving then.
£££
My 'Summer foundations' such as Mac Face and body and Revlon photoready have been retired to the back of my makeup drawer and out come the winter ones.

My skins been playing up quite bad recently, i think it is because of the sudden change in weather. The past week ive woken up with dry patches and blotchy red skin (...attractive). So i'm needing abit more coverage and moisture then normal.

So these are my favourite foundations that i'm reaching for and loving at the moment:

Mac Moistureblend NW20
Ive been using this foundation alot on days where my skins been really parched needs moisture. the names in the title, Its one of the most moisturising foundations i have tried(...verging on maybe being a bit too moisturising?)
I love it anyways, it's medium coverage and can be built up to very full coverage without being cakey, You need to set it with powder though, or it will just slide right off.
This will be a must for me this winter.
RRP £22

DiorSkin Nude 02 Light Beige
I was really hesitant to splurge on this as the assistant at Dior said it was quite sheer...I went ahead and got it anyway - Sheer?! yes its liquidy but NOT sheer.
It covered all my redness and made my skin look so fault-free. It consists of quite a high percentige of water so its really soothing on my skin and hydrating. I find this foundation just sinks right into the skin, it does not rest on top of the skin like most foundations do and it leaves a fairly dewy finnish. I wore this on a night out and a friend said my skin looked 'airbrushed and glowing'. Thank you DiorSkin Nude haha.
RRP £29

Nars sheer Glow Mont blanc
This is neither sheer or neither does it glow. Its actuially medium coverage to full and rather matte - well, more a 'satin' finnish.
The finnish is beautiful though, it really evens out my skintone nicely with the smallest amount and looks like skin. You can tell the quiality of this foundation as no matter how many layers you build up, it wont go cakey. It blends like a dream also, you could just throw it on and it would look beautiful. I fell in love with this as soon as i used it!
I cant describe the finnish though, but its gorgeous.
RRP £29

Mac Studio Fix NW20
This is a tad dark for me so i mix it with a tiny bit of NW15.
This foundation is the thickest of them all, (...So thick, i had to buy i pump!)and the highest coverage...Its also has a very matte finnish, so i usually mis in some sort of illuminator to make it more dewy. I wear this on days when my skin is VERY uneven and its the one that i have repurchased the most. I think ive gone though about 3 bottles of this stuff. amazing! Will always have a bottle of this in my collection.
RRP £19

Revlon Colourstay Buff
The cheapest out of the lot at around £10. This really works just aswell as studio fix with its finnish, its fairly matte so i use an illuminator with it. I always wear this when i'm not doing much but my skin needs *something* on it.
Its fairly high coverage, more then all the others, but a little less then studio fix.
RRP £10

Swatches!
(they all sook so dark here for some reason?)

Left to right - Moistureblend, DiorSkin, Sheer Glow, Studio Fix, Colourstay

& the winner is...
Nars sheer glow. For the simple reason that is it FAB.

Oh, i also wanted to sneak in a NOTD in there ;)
I'm wearing Models Own Grey Day - LOVE this colour! Its the most perfect grey-ey blue ive found.

Can anyone reccomend me a good, full coverage foundation to try?
Whats your favourite?

Mini Rave - LUSH Maple Taffy Lip Balm ♥

Lush Maple Taffy, A new LUSH christmas product.

Lush Says -
"The taste of this balm is unbelievably moreish. Mixed in with the syrup, we've added Japan and carnauba waxes with extra virgin coconut oil to form a moisturising layer on the lips and keep them safe from the nip of winter. "

I was on the search for good 'winter' lip balm and had read mostly positive reviews on lushes site for this product, so i popped into lush on my way back from work a few days ago and grabbed one.
A winter lip balm in my opinion needs to be thick, long lasting moisturising and also has to prevent my lips from cracking and peeling...this little tin was just what i was on the hunt for.

I have and love the Palmers Dark chocolate and peppermint lip balm that was in my previous monthly favourites post, but that has quite a thin consistency and i use that to just pop over lipsticks while on the go and I needed something to get me through the (...supposedly) harsh winter thats ahead!

My thaughts?
Just like all Lush lip balms the texture is very waxy, hard and thick, which i love as it really cotes the lips well and acts as a barrier against the icy wind, i find it works a treat under drying lipstick and fills in any lines in the lips, making lips look plumper and more healthy, almost acts as a good lip primer in a way!

This balm contains real Syrup, which makes it taste unusual...but i like it,
Ive never known a lip balm contain real syrup before!
It lasts a good 2 hours on my lips and even after its gone, my lips still feel soft a while after.

The smell is divine and is the thing that makes this lip balm so addicting to apply. Whenever i smell it, it makes me think of christmas!

The Scent is quite difficult to describe, i cant quite put my finger on it, its quite a spicy, sweet, sickly cakey scent, so being a major sweet lover, i adore it! Its not for everyone though, one of my friends said it made her feel nauseous, while another said it was yummy.
It really does remind me of butterscotch angels delight...
...Remember that stuff? yum.

The only downside to this balm is you really need to rub your fingers around for a minute to warm the product up as it is so thick and is almost a solid product. The texture is very similar to Lushes solid perfumes if youve ever tried any of them.

Ingrediends?
all good ofcourse!

Maple Syrup Extra Virgin
Coconut Oil Illipe Butter Japan Wax Extra Virgin Coconut oil (Cocos nucifera), Maple Syrup, Japan Wax (Rhus succedanea), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii), Illipe Butter (Shorea stenoptera), Carnauba Wax, Flavour, Glycerine.

Price?
A teeny tiny £2.50!
Its so cheap, ive stocked up on them to see me through winter (:

Will you be buying a tin?

September Favourites ♥

Wheres all the time going to? I cant believe its October. It'll be christmas before we know it!
So, Its that time of the month to share my favourite products...

This month ive been using alot more different products, ive veered out of using my usual pink bright colours and have gone for the more nude/beige colours...I blame the utterly crap weather thats hit the UK the past couple of weeks. Ive really been enjoying using nude more warmer tones, it makes me look more alive and healthy.

So heres the (...long!) list of products ive been using and loving in the month of September:

Cheek Products:
Benefit Hoola - Gorgeous matte, true brown bronzer, will never use another ever again!
Sleeks Contour Kit - I LOVE this. Ive had it quite a while and never used it much, but i rediscovered it a couple of weeks ago and the highlighter is gorgeous. Its very similar to Mac's vanilla pigment but in pressed form. The contour powder is now my staple.
Cargo Coral Beach - An old favourite. I adore this so much, Its a bronzer, blush & highlighter all in one. Really defines the cheek and adds a lovely golden glow. Been wearing this almost every day. Its one of thise blushes that you can just slap on and it will look good.
Mac Springshine Blush - Ive been weaing this on nights out. I think it translates in photo's really well and makes your cheeks glow. Lovely golden peach sheen, a tad lighter then Nars Orgasm.
Dior Amber Glow - Hands down my most used product in september. It really is worth the hefty price tag as its the best highlighter ive ever used. makes you look so fresh and adds a lovely dewy glow. Looks gorgeous as an all over eye colour also. I'm a bit hesitant to use it alot though as i wont beable to just rush out and buy it when its finnished!

Lip products:
Mac Lip Erase - I know i kow, Concealer lips! Not my usual look, however i find that if i apply it lightly it nudes out the bright red pigmentation in my lips nicely. Ive been rocking the 'nude' lips quite alot this month along with a smokey eye and very messy hair (:
Palmers Dark Chocolate and Peppermint Lip Butter- The weathers been cold, windy and rainy this month and this has been my saviour. It adds moisture, tastes and smells yummy aswell as leaving a beautiful shiney glaze to the lips. I put this over the top of Lip Erase.

Concealer:

Mac Studio Sculpt - New HG concealer for cold weather! I find this really moisturizing on my dry skin and it covers my dark circles really well. Perfect! Ive been using this pretty much everyday, it also covers redness on my face quite well. I love this so much, ive even baught a backup (:

Eyeshadow:
Urban Decay Naked Palette - I think this is featuring is most peoples favourites this month! This is my most used palette ever now. I could literally use this every day of my life and id be a very happy bunny and its so easy having everything in one small handy little palette. My favourite colours are: Naked, Virgin and Smog.

Applicators:
Mac 217 Blending Brush - My first Mac eyeshadow brush and i can safely say i will be buying alot more! Ive used this everyday since i got it and it blends out eyeshadow like a dream! Ive been using this for every purpose actually, all over lid colour, crease and highlighter. Love it.

Mac 109 - I used to use this for foundation but its sheds quite alot so now i use it for highlighter and blush and its the perfect size since for my face shape, i find that the Mac 129 is just far too big for blush and highlighter.

Beauty Blender - This was featured in my last favourites post! I couldnt live without this now. If i could just use one foundation aplicator for the rest of my life, it would be this. Its so simple to use and gets my foundation done in a matter of seconds!

So that everything, Next month i'll probably be back to my good old corals and pinks despite the weather!