My most worn products over the last week are a collection of both old favourites almost forgotten about and new discoveries which I'm loving, all of which I really couldn't be without in this heat.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural has seriously left me wondering why on earth I hadn't tried it before. For years and years I had avoided finishing powders as they took me back to those awful matte, pasty pale years of my teens. After struggling more than most years with controlling shine I decided to purchase this powder as it not only controls shine with a semi-matte finish but it also provides another light layer of coverage. When wearing you can barely tell you're wearing it, it doesn't cling to imperfections or to those fuzzy little hairs we ladies have, just a smooth natural finish. Love!

Another MAC favourite at the moment is their Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Soft Ochre. My usual favourite eyeshadow primers aren't keeping shadows on my oily lids, this stuff not only works great as a matte eyeshadow on it's own but also doubles up as a long wearing natural base that doesn't crease or fade. My Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette has made an appearance in my daily routine again, with the shade Stark being my everyday shade, I'm seriously gutted they don't sell this shade on it's own as I will be lost without it!

My Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer has made it's way back into my makeup bag, I'd almost forgotten how good this stuff is! I do suffer with a little creasing under my eyes so I make sure I tissue off any excess product and set with powder to avoid it settling into the creases, the result is much brighter and more rested looking eyes.

I do currently have a Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara open but when I saw Benefit release new shades of their They're Real Mascara I was instantly drawn to the brown shade, I have to say its pretty good. The mascara itself doesn't give me the most volume and lift I've ever had from a mascara but I am enjoying the more natural look of brown lashes apposed to my normal black. I'll post a more in-depth review of this one soon.

Last but my no means least we have my current favourite blusher from Clinique, Melon Pop Cheek Pop. This stuff looks so nice with my current tan, it gives cheeks the loveliest wash of colour but keeping them looking natural and not powdery. I have the coordinating lipstick, Melon Pop and when worn together it really pulls my whole summery look together.

See any of your favourites or anything you've been dying to try?

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot | Soft Ochre | Swatch & Review

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot £15.50

After reading what feels like a thousand posts on MAC's paint pots and almost daily donning a barely-there-eye I decided to purchase Soft Ochre last week and it really is one of those products that has left me wondering why the hell I didn't buy it before!

I wear MAC's Studio Fix Fluid foundation in the shade NC15 and Soft Ochre matches my base perfectly, covering any darkness on my eyelids and leaving the perfect nude base. 

MAC claim their Paint Pots to be 'a highly pigmented colour that goes on creamy and dries to a vibrant, intense finish' and I'll second that! Soft Ochre has a completely matte finish which lasts and lasts, I have quite oily eyelids and this cream eyeshadow doesn't crease or fade, it also works as a great base for eyeshadows to help longevity and intenseness.

I've definitely got the bug for MAC's Paint Pots, which are your favourites?

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche La Palette Nude Eyeshadow Palette | Beige

L'Oreal Paris Color Riche La Palette Nude Eyeshadow Palete | Beige | £14.99

I have wanted this palette ever since I saw preview posts of it online but frustratingly every time I had gone to purchase it online it had been out of stock, much to my delight I walked into my local Superdrug over the weekend and the L'Oreal stand was stacked with them and I brought this little gem home with me. Although equally as beautiful this palettes predecessor is more rose/pink toned and as I have yellow toned skin it just wouldn't have worked for me, where as this palette has everything I need in one place.

The formula of the eyeshadows is silky and the shades blend incredibly well. I love the fact there is a mixture of matte and shimmer shadows in this palette along with a decent sized mirror and a not so bad quality applicator/brush. The palette itself is sleek and much unlike anything I'm used to from L'Oreal, it definitely has a more high end feel to it.

This palette was definitely worth the wait and in my opinion worth the hype. Will you be purchasing one?

KIKO Long Lasting Stick Shadow | 06 Golden Brown | Swatch & Review

KIKO Long Lasting Stick Shadow | rrp £6.90

KIKO really is the new kid on the block, last year we had Makeup Revolution with their purse friendly dupes for famous high-end favourites and now we have this Italian brand offering high quality cosmetics that will suit anyones budget. 

I got this eyeshadow stick in the Latest In Beauty Glamour Spring Edit Box (£16.99 inc p&p) and was really pleased with the shade I received as it's a muted, natural colour which is so me and perfect for either a natural daytime look or a more dramatic smokey eye for a night out. 

This eyeshadow stick is seriously impressive, it's really bendable and delivers the perfect mix of warm brown and gold shimmer. I got a full days wear (I'm talking 13 hours) with no signs of smudging or creasing and more importantly none of that beautiful gold shimmer strayed. 

What are your must-haves from KIKO?

Lancome La Base Paupieres Pro | Beige Ivoire

Lancome La Base Paupieres Pro  | Beige Ivoire | RRP £21

I don't often wear eyeshadow, I tend to opt for a slick of liner and a bold lip, but lately I have been revisiting some of my treasured palettes and when I reached for my regular eyeshadows primer (Benefit's Stay Don't Stray) I found it to be quite drying so after a little research I opted for this offering from Lancome. 

La Base Paupieres Pro has a creamy waterproof formula that firstly creates a bare skin effect which means it can be worn alone or under eyeshadow and secondly smooths the eyelid and provides a crease free finish. 

As I am quite pale I opted for the lightest shade in the range which just so happens to be perfect for me whether I'm wearing it alone or with an eyeshadow on top. The formula has a subtle shimmer in it that is not at all obvious when you are wearing a matte eyeshadow on top. I apply with a concealer brush and then gently pat on to my eyelids and apply eyeshadow once dry and I can honestly say my eye makeup doesn't budge all day! 

Makeup Revolution Essential Mattes 2 Palette

I'm really loving Makeup Revolution's recent releases, one of which is the new Essential Mattes 2 palette rrp £4. Following on from their original Essential Mattes palette this new version has more neutral, wearable shades still with their silky formula and rich colour pay-off.

I love this palette! It has every shade in it you need to create a variety of natural daytime looks. Ok so the palette housing the shades isn't the prettiest, there's no mirror included and the applicator is a little naff but who cares when you are getting 12 super pigmented shades for £4?

Makeup Revolution You're Gorgeous Palette

Following on from my last couple of posts of the contents of my recent Makeup Revolution haul I bring to you today their You're Gorgeous palette that was chucked into my order as a freebie!

This palette has a gorgeous variety of shades 10 of which are beautifully pigmented mattes and 22 lovely shimmer shades. The pallet is quite a bit larger than expected meaning it will last forever and it includes a great sized mirror. Although this was a freebie the rrp of £8.99 is still an absolute bargain as the shades I have tried have been of great quality and a silky finish. 

MAC Pro Palette Eyeshadow Refills in Brule and Espresso

If you caught my post on my quite recent purchase of a Unii Palette you'll know that I'm now quite set on building a customised palette with everything I need in it to get ready in the morning (with the exception of foundation!) and my latest editions to this palette were MAC's Pro Palette Refills in Brule and Espresso. 

For my everyday makeup palette I really wanted to include neutrals that can be quickly applied without much fuss so I decided to choose Brule a creamy-beige for my eyeshadow base and Espresso a neutral brown for my eyebrows. 

I own a lot of MAC products i.e. foundations, lipsticks, primers, highlighters etc and I have to say that these two eyeshadows for me don't live up to the hype. I don't find them as highly pigmented as others claim them to be, especially Espresso and I much prefer my Urban Decay eyeshadows. Maybe it's just these shades but it has seriously put me off trying any more shadows from MAC. I will use them up as the shades themselves are perfect for me but it's just the lack of pigment which means I'm to and from the pan with my brush constantly that annoys me.

Do you own any MAC eyeshadow's? What are your thoughts? 

Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 vs Naked Basics

Admittedly my post on Urban Decay's Naked basics 2 is not alone and quite late, however I just had to share this gorgeous bargain purchase (£15.70!) from Cohorted I made a few weeks ago. If you haven't heard of Cohorted or made a purchase from them yet then you really should check them out, they bring you big brands at tiny prices, the concept is simple...the more people that shop the bigger the price drop!

Matt neutral eyeshadows are my thang and loving my Naked Basics palette as much as I do I knew Naked Basics 2 would have to be mine! This palette has five never-before-seen matt shades that just like it's predecessor blend like a dream and wear so well.

The packaging and palette itself is very similar to the the first Naked Basics, I love the sleek yet simple design and the very generous size of the mirror inside.

Naked Basics 2 is cooler in tone than Naked Basics with these six taupe hued neutrals and compliments Naked 2 perfectly (which I don't own due to all the shimmery shades which aren't my thang!).

L Naked Basics 2
R Naked Basics

So here's Naked Basics 2 on the left compared to my well used and well loved Naked Basics on the right. I initially thought I wouldn't need Naked Basics 2 when it was released as I thought it was very similar to the first but when you have them together you can really tell the difference. I'm so glad I decided to add it to my collection, with Cohorted offering such an a amazing discount I'd have been a fool not to!

Do you own these palettes? What are your thoughts?

Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Collection Eyeshadow Palette

The Urban Decay Pulp Fiction Collection Palette rrp £17.50 is by no means a new kid on the block and after all the hype had died down surrounding this limited edition release I really wanted to try this palette for myself firstly because I love Urban Decay's palettes and secondly because I love the film Pulp Fiction!

I love the design of this palette, the fact the contents are housed in a sturdy cardboard body with a glossy finish and one of the infamous quotes from the film itself!

This palette has everything I need for my everyday look and to create Mia's dark, edgy look. Three of the shades in this palette are new and created specially for this limited edition release. As with all of Urban Decay's eyeshadows the formula is silky and extremely blendable. I love the fact it comes with a small brush and a decent sized mirror making it everything you need in one place.

There's even a 'get the look' card included with the palette to help you recreate Mia's smouldering look. The collection also includes the Mia Wallace nail polish and lipstick (which I can no longer find online) to complete the look, I decided not to opt for the polish and probably not the lipstick either if it was available as I have a ton of red lip pies and nail polishes.

All in all I love this palette and I think any girl that loves a natural daytime look as much as me will love it to. Do you own this palette? What are your thoughts?

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 Hour Eyeshadow in Permanent Taupe

I'm finding myself really getting into eyeshadow's lately, my usual daily go-to look is a glowy base, slick of eyeliner and lipstick and I'm ready to go, however this Autumn I've been reaching for browns and golds for my eyes and I've found the perfect colour in my first Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadow. Permanent Taupe £4.99 rrp is a gorgeous grey/brown in a matte finish that doesn't budge.

The glass pot housing the product gives it a more expensive feel than it's incredibly affordable price tag and there's enough space to get your finger in there rather than a brush for ease of use.

L Unblended
R Blended

As with most long-wear formulas you have to work fast as once the product has dried it's hard to blend and doesn't budge! I really like this product, the colour is chic and anything that lasts all day is a winner in my books! Have you tried any Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadow's and which are your favourites?

August's Birchbox - Contents And Review

This month's Birchbox contains a selection of products with the thought of getaway's in mind.  The products selected are some great travel essentials including a leave-in conditioner, perfect for sun damaged hair and a mineral-infused exfoliator to help you brighten and prolong that tan. So lets take a closer look at my box's contents...

Vasanti Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator  is an aloe-infused exfoliator that targets clogged pores and any dry, flaky skin. Suitable for even sensitive skin due to the tiny exfoliating crystals and creamy texture this face scrub is guaranteed to leave you with glowing skin. The sample was a generous size, I can see I will get a good 3-4 uses from it. I really enjoyed using this product, I'm not convinced enough to purchase the full size as I currently use a cheaper but equally as good product, but it's definitely a nice treat for the skin.

Numer 4 Lumiere d'Hiver Comb Prep & Protect has got to be my favourite product from this month's box. Not only does it smell absolutely gorgeous but it left my hair so soft after using it last night. I have naturally curly hair which at times can be a little course without the right products and this product really de-tangled my hair tamed my frizziness. Another reason it gets a big thumbs up from me is that it's 100% paraben-free and sulphate-free meaning that it's genuinely conditioning your hair and not just sealing the shaft with silicones giving the appearance of glossier hair. I definitely will go on to purchase the full-size product.

The product that I was most looking forward to trying but actually turned out to be, in my opinion, the worst product in the box was Supergoop Daily Correct CC Cream. The sample sizes were ok, enough to get 2-3 uses, but the product itself was very disappointing. First thing I noticed when squeezing it out of the tube was the colour, for a CC cream that is supposed to be for fair/medium skin tones it has incredibly red undertones. At the moment I wear NC20 and this was far too dark and red for even my tanned skin. Secondly the texture was horrible. This product is described as lightweight and velvety but I have to say it felt heavy and greasy on my skin. Big thumbs down from me on this one!

Dead Sea Spa Magik Refreshing Shower Gel  in my first initial opinion is a bit meh. Sure a shower gel of some form is a travel essential but I would have preferred something a bit more luxurious and fragrant...something to take you back to that place you holidayed when you use it! This multipurpose product can either be poured in to a running bath or used lathered in the shower and with it's pure minerals from the Dead Sea it's guaranteed to be good for your skin.

Another product I was looking forward to trying but a bit bummed out because if the shade I received was the Wild About Beauty Powder Eyeshadow. I received shade 01 Paradise, a highly-pigmented gold eyeshadow. I find it a little hard to get excited about this product purely due to the colour I received however the packaging is beautiful and there are a great selection of wearable colours in the line so I may purchase I shade I like to road test it properly.

The lifestyle extra is this months box was a chapter from a romantic novel titled The Proposal by Tasmina Perry. When I have a little spare time I may have a quick flick through it, however romances aren't really my thang!

A bit of a meh box this month in my opinion. As much as I've enjoyed using the prep & protect spray and exfoliator I really could have done without all of the products I received and probably would have liked to have seen some more beauty products or fragrances.

Urban Decay Naked Palette Swatches and Review

This post comes a little late as I received it a little over a week ago, but today I am reviewing my bargain purchase from Cohorted...the Naked palette from Urban Decay.

Now I did a review a couple of months ago on Urban Decay's Naked Basic's palette in which I said shimmer and glitter eye-shadow's are not for me...I have been converted now I have this palette in my possession! I briefly deliberated on whether or not I needed to purchase this palette when I saw the Cohorts go live as like I said I never really wore or liked glitter or shimmer eye-shadow's but I hastily made the decision to purchase it...and at only £23.96 it was a bargain I couldn't resist!

I was very surprised at the size of the Naked palette, as I mentioned I have the Naked Basics palette and it's not even a third of the size of the Naked palette. What I really like is that it comes with a decent sized brush in with the palette saving the hassle of digging round for a brush when you're doing your face in a rush.

This palette has the perfect mixture of bronzed hued matte, shimmer and sparkle shadows in it. As with all of the other Urban Decay shadow's I've tried they are super pigmented, extremely wearable and they last all day. My favorite shades and the ones I've been wearing the most in the last week are the first 4 (Virgin, Sin, Naked and Sidecar).

L-R as shown in palette

Apologies for  the size of the swatches, I don't have much skin not covered in tattoo's! These swatches were just one swipe with my finger in the pan, as you can see they are super pigmented and the colors blend really well with each other. With having to use so little to get great color pay-off I see this as more of an investment than an expenditure.

Jodie

xoxo

Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 Palette Swatches

After seeing lots of lovely blog posts on Makeup Revolution products I decided to purchase the Iconic 3 palette and some lipsticks (separate post on those coming up). I was really surprised at the size of this palette, the packaging feels a little on the cheap side but don't let that put you off as the product itself is really good quality. 

My picture really doesn't do the shades any justice, they are all really wearable highly-pigmented shades. I found you need to use very little to get good colour pay-off and they last really well. From what a can gather from testing the palette it has 3 matte shades, 2 pearl shades and 7 shimmer shades, the perfect variation for any look. At only £4 per palette Makeup Revolution's Iconic 3 palette is the best lower-end eyeshadow palette I've tried yet!

Jodie

xoxo

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette Review and Swatches

For a little while now I have been looking for an eyeshadow palette containing a variety of neutral colours all of which I would wear. I have other palettes lying around in which I will just use a couple of the colours and end up throwing the rest of it away. I tend to only use matte neutral shades on my eyes as I'm more of a lipstick kinda gal, for now my search is over...enter Urban Decay's Naked Basics Palette rrp £22.

I know people go nuts over Urban Decay's Naked 1, 2 and 3 but I have never reached for one as they contain shimmery eyeshadows, which just isn't for me, so I had never given thought into purchasing one of their palettes as I thought they were all pretty much the same. In my opinion Naked Basics is the best palette of them all, it contains 6 very versatile shades which every woman needs in her eye make-up arsenal. All but one shade (Venus) are richly pigmented matte shades, not at all chalky or powdery they go on beautifully and the staying power (with a good primer) is fantastic.

Top L to R: Venus, Foxy and Walk Of Shame
Bottom L to R: Naked 2, Faint and Crave

You can't really tell from my photo but Venus has a touch of satin to it so it's the perfect shade for highlighting. This palette is loaded with Urban Decay's full-size shadow pans and every shade features their Pigment Infusion System for colour that holds tightly to pigment and gives the formula it's glide. The shades blend easily and seamlessly together and as they are so richly pigmented a little goes a long way meaning this palette will last you a long time.

I haven't given my other eyeshadow's a look since purchasing this palette, it gives me every colour I need in one place.

Jodie

xoxo

March Glossybox Review

Another month...another beauty box. Lets take a look into the box (always highly anticipated!) and contents I received this month...

Mitchell and Peach Body Cream £36 for 180ml

Ok, so I didn't receive the glamorous jar and cute little box pictured, I received and descent sample size tube, which is fine...I would be in awe if I was sent otherwise. So the product description card says "With English honey, organic cocoa, vitamin B5 and shea butter, this Mitchell and Peach body cream is perfect to leave you feeling as though you've taken a walk in the English countryside."

Although it smells very nice, a fresh floral scent, it does nothing for hydration on my skin. I've never really been wowed by Mitchell and Peach products, they always come in sleek packaging but the contents of said packaging do very little for my skin, although they smell luxurious when using them. Retailing at £36 for the full sized product, this won't be on my wish list anytime soon.

Sleek Pout Polish in Bonaire Full size £4.49

When I saw on Facebook that Sleek's Pout Polish would be featured in this months Glossybox I was a little excited...I have an obsession with anything that can be adorned on my lips, especially tinted balms for a quick and easy colour fix. I received the colour "Bonaire" which is a bright orange. It isn't the first colour I would pick from the range but the colour is very sheer and wearable. On the product description card it is described as "Full of nourishment with SPF15, almond oil, shea butter and vitamin E it will leave your pout looking perfect." Now it is a nice product, does what it says on the tin...I probably wouldn't repurchase as there are versions from other brands I prefer and I'm a little disappointed to receive a drugstore product in a beauty box that claims to send you "High-end beauty samples".

Bellapierre Shimmer Powder in Coral Reef Full Size £12.99

I'm not really a fan of shimmery eyeshadows, I mainly own more neutral shades which I use to dab in the corners of my eyes when I'm in need of a little pick-me-up. The products description card claims that this product is "a 100% pure Mica shimmering eye shadow that will provide you with a long lasting vibrant colour without smearing, creasing or fading." The colour is not for me and I really don't enjoy using loose products in packaging like this, I find they are messy and lead to product loss. The website has some lovely looking items to offer but this product is unfortunately a thumbs down from me...

       

       
          Vita Liberata pHenomenal 2-3 Week Tan Lotion £37.50 for 150ml

           I feel I can't give this product the review it may deserve as I was only sent 2 small sachets...what were they expecting me to tan? My ankles? The product description card claims "Cheat with pHenomenal 2-3 week tan lotion which promises a longer lasting and hydrating tan." This will go into my little draw of samples....


Dove Hair Therapy Intensive Repair 60 Second Treatment Shot £1.49 for 15ml

Yawn, another drugstore brand...
I haven't tried this treatment shot yet as I'm pretty fussy about what I put on my hair so I will save this for a rainy day when I'm feeling more experimental. The product card claims "You don't have to chose between beauty and hair care with this intensive treatment! It's the perfect pick-me-up for haircare in a hurry and you can even take it on holiday to revive damaged hair from the sun."
Available from Superdrug.


All-in-all another disappointing box for me from Glossybox. I feel that if they spent more effort in sourcing high-end samples then the design and quality of the boxes containing them then the boxes would be more exciting to receive. I have redeemed my Glossydots and next month will be my last Glossybox...maybe not ever...but I've just signed up to Birchbox and I'm really looking forward to actually trying some high-end samples.

Jodie

xoxo