MAC

In the month of March i've really enjoyed using my MAC palette - i've just rekindled my love for it and i can't stop using it now.
It seems to be a thing everyone has in their collection but sometimes forget about it. Well March was the month of MAC for me!

(From left-right)
Deep Truth
All That Glitters
Cranberry
Wedge
Sumptuous Olive
Black Tied
Naked Lunch
Rice Paper
(I don't actually know the colour for the next one)
Mulch
Purple Haze
Gleam
Nylon
Amber Lights
Satin Taupe

I absolutely love all of these colours - i'm a massive fan of MAC eyeshadows & i know some people think MAC are quite overrated but i really can't fault their shadows that i've tried. Of course i've not tried all of them but at £10.00 a pop i'm more than happy to try more.
My favourites are probably All That Glitters, Gleam & Cranberry.
They all glide over the lids so nicely and are a dream to blend.

I'm also really interested in getting their new palettes with see through lids they'd make it much easier to differentiate between my blush palette and my eyeshadow palette!

Let me know in the comments if you've got any of these colours and what you think of them - i'd be interested to see other peoples opinions on my favourite ones!

p.s i am SO sorry i've not blogged from absolutely months now... It's just one of those things.
Thank you, Sophie xx

newest edition to my make up family ♡

I couldn't believe my luck as my lovely boyfriend and i wandered into House Of Fraiser about a week ago. As soon as i walked in i saw a big sale sign - as anyone does right? - and headed straight over only to find the amazing Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette reduced from £39.00 to a whopping £19.50! That's impressive if you ask me - sadly i had no money but Alex (my boyfriend) completely came through for me and lent me the money!

If you haven't seen this palette before then get ready to be amazed...

Firstly just look at this amazing packaging! It's a gunmetal colour with UD in purple 3D jewels ... oh you do get me on your packaging Urban Decay!

If you've not fallen in love already i can't believe it - every single colour in this palette is highly pigmented and absolutely beautiful! I will get use out of all theses colours - obviously some wont be used as frequently ... Junkshow, Deep End & Evidence (don't get me wrong i absolutely love them but they're quite bold!) - So even if it was £39.00 i would have happily paid that!

I've known about this palette ever since it's been out but every time i got paid i completely forgot to purchase it so it was meant to be when i saw it in the sale.

I thought i'd swatch a couple of my favourite colours - Like i said i do love them all but i've not had it for long and i've been ill for about 5 days so i've not really been able to use it very much!

♡ Half Truth - a gorgeous metallic purple that blends amazingly and looks lovely as an all over lid colour with a touch of 'vanilla' to blend it out. An easy purple smokey eye is the perfect use for this eyeshadow.

♡ Midnight Rodeo - a lovely bronzed chunky glitter. I was quite worried about this colour when i first swatched it as there is a lot of glitter running through it and i thought instantly 'hell-o fall out!' but it doesn't fall out and it is so pigmented i can't even explain

♡ Flow - a lovely peachy shimmery tone that's perfect for highlighting or easy everyday make up just swept all over the lid. I've probably used this colour the most as it's very simple and easy to work with

♡ M.I.A - who doesn't love a dark brown glittery/shimmery eyeshadow? Well i absolutely love this colour and i have been loving seeing lots of brown smokey eyes recently. They're very easy to do and this colour is perfect for the outer corners of your eye.

I absolutely adore this palette and now i'm feeling better i am so excited to create some more looks with it! 

Have you got this palette? If not would you buy it or are the more daring colours a slight put off? XO

p.s - this was the last one they had in stock so naturally i HAD TO have it! 

 

review - Sanctuary Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser

A couple of months ago i finished my REN cleansing balm and absolutely couldn't afford to repurchase it (not at the time anyway) as it's just under £30 so i decided to hit the high street. I was full preparing myself to have to buy some awful cheap eye make up remover and live with that until i got paid next until i stumbled upon this beauty ...

Sanctuary Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser - Boots £10.20

When i picked it up i couldn't believe the price, at just a little over ten pounds it's safe to say i didn't even look at it much and all of a sudden i'd purchased it. 

I was very half an half before i used this product - i knew that Sanctuary was a lovely brand and had been told many times by my mummy that she adored it so i thought i'd give it a go BUT the other half of me thought 'for just over ten pounds is this really going to be good?' ... I should never have doubted it!

Sanctuary Say - 'Every single day your skin needs to be thoroughly cleansed and gently exfoliate, without stripping it of it's natural protection and oil. Just as in a spa treatment, the Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser opens the pores to deep cleanse, while also acting as a gentle exfoliator to help stimulate circulation. Moisturizing beeswax and gold of pleasure oil help to condition the skin, while soothing camomile helps to leave your complexion glowing with the radiance of a spa facial'

As shown above the £10.20 pack comes with a 125ml bottle of Cleanser and a cloth to be used in conjunction. Of course if you've already got a cloth you prefer then you wont need this but it's very handy to have and i did use it a couple of times.

The cleanser itself really was incredible! 

♡ It lathers up just the right amount to feel like it's working but not so much that it goes up my nose
♡ It smells really lovely
♡ It leaves my skin feeling extremely soft
♡ It's gentle and doesn't sting my eyes
♡ It takes the make up off SO easily without much massaging necessary
♡ It's cheap and such a great product!

So there you have my little round up ... I really do adore this product and the pictures above are taken from my second bottle of the stuff which really shows that i LOVE this! I really can't recommend enough!

Do you have any hot cloth cleanser recommendations for me? I've already tried Liz Earle of course and i'm currently using the No7 one and loving it! XO

A few MAC goodies from my parents!

MAC Lipstick 'Rebel'

 I adore the attention to detail in the packaging!

MAC Marilyn Monroe Collection Blush 'Legendary'

My parents have been away recently and they bought my sister and i a couple of lovely things each from MAC! So sweet of them... They got my sister a Lipglass and a Pressed Pigment - so exciting!

As you can see above these are the two amazing products they got me! I really wanted to try some of the Marilyn Monroe collection purely because i adore the packaging (and of course the product but the packaging is fabulous!) so i was really excited when i saw Blush in my bag. 

It's a gorgeous peachy blush that will be perfect over the winter as i quite like the keep my skin looking quite pale and this will just add the perfect touch. Please excuse me for not swatching it but i like to keep it perfect until i use it - a bit anal i know!

The other product is the lipstick in Rebel - perfect for this time of year and i was blown away because i was going to purchase this myself when i got paid so i thought that was lovely. It's a deep purple in the tube but when applied to the lips it's a really deep purple/pink - really 'trendy' (can't believe i just said that!)

SO they're the two amazing presents i got from my parents and i am so excited to use them! I may have to rock Rebel tonight at the cinema! XO

september favourites

Benefit - Powda Wowza - £19 John Lewis

I got this just before Christmas last year and i've barely made a dent in it but recently i've absolutely loved wearing it! I literally never contour but i thought i'd give it a go and i've been loving it recently. There's something about a subtle contour on pale skin that looks really nice in my opinion. I've also been loving the pink colour too - i am useless and don't know what they're actually called - woops!  

Moroccan Oil - Boots £6.99(ish) I can't seem to find a link on the Boots website!

- This is actually my sisters but i've fallen madly in love with it and i'll definitely be purchasing it hwen i get paid! -

I'm not sure if this is making the condition of my hair much better but it's definitely making it appear shinier and there's just something about it that makes me love using it! Another addiction? I think so!

L'Oreal Lumi Magique - Boots £10.99 

I've finally repurchased this and i adore it all over again. It makes my skin look permanently flawless and lasts quite a while on my horribly oily skin! It's also the perfect match for my skin which is rare for foundations. I only need about one pump to cover my whole face and it's just so silky to apply i really do recommend this! 

Barry M Rose Quartz - Superdrug £3.99 

You can just see how gorgeous this is! I really love it over black nail polish. It gives the galaxy effect without having to faff about too much and i actually found it quite easy to take off even though i've always found that Barry M glitters are extremely hard to get off. I also just love pink glitters so it was an instant love for me!

Bath Bombs - £2.25

I got both of these from my place of work and i love them! They're so moisturising and smell absolutely incredible. Their smell fills up the whole of the upper floor of my house and is honestly mouth watering. When i used these i don't need to moisturize as thoroughly afterwards as they're so creamy and do a lot of the job for you! In September we got a lot of new bombs in and i can't help but buy one at the end of pretty much every shift i do!

So they're my extremely late September favourites - what have you been loving this month? XO

did someone say glitter?

Naturally on pay day i have to buy a little ... but it really was just a little this time! I've got to get my saving hat on if i want to move out!

However one thing i do like to treat myself to is nail polish ... I like to change my nails on a day to day basis and at the moment i am going through my glitter phase again ... why does everything look better when it's sparkly?!

1. Barry M Rose Quartz Glitter - Superdrug £3.99 

As soon as i saw this i fell deeply and madly in love - well just look at it! I can only assume you have as well?
As i've not used it yet there isn't a whole load i can say about it apart from how excited i am to put it over O.P.I Pink Friday & a black polish!

2. NYC Rock Muse Topcoat - Superdrug £2.99(ish)

(I'm sorry i couldn't find a link to this! Does anyone else think the Superdrug website is a bit crap?)

Anything black and glittery i am all over. I have a massive love for black nail polish as i think it's one of the classiest colours to have on your nails - however due to my glitter fetish i have to pop a bit of sparkle over the top so this is perfect! I'm not sure how this would fare on other colours as it's black but maybe one day i'll try a few different colours!

3. Rimmel Precious Stone 'Ruby Crush' - Superdrug £3.99 

Like many others all i can think of is Dorothy from the Wizard Of Oz and this is what drew me in with this polish. I absolutely love red glitter all year round but most importantly over Christmas. What's better than festive nails? Not alot.

4. Collection Bedazzled 'Glittersweet' - Superdrug £2.99(ish)

(Again i am sorry i just couldn't find a link for this!)

I thought this was a really unique colour and definitely a glitter i've never owned so i thought i'd give it a go. When it comes to glitter i don't mind buying cheaper polishes as i use them so frequently that i can't justify spending £11.00+ on a polish if i use them up in a month or so! And i think this is just so lovely and i can imagine it will look amazing over a white polish, a very clean cut glittery mani!

So they're my recent glittery purchase ... If i end up falling more in love than i am currently with any of these products i will definitely do a full review! XO

Top 10 under £10.00

I've seen a few people do this and i thought it would be quite interesting to go through my make up collection and pick out the things i adore under £10.00 - it was quite hard as a lot of the things i use all the time are more expensive than £10.00! However looking through i did find some goodies and i absolutely love all of them...

1. Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat - Boots £5.25 

I've not tried a lot of base coats to be honest but i have fallen in love with this one. Not only is it affordable and easy to get hold of it also leaves my nails looking lovely. It makes it a lot easier to take my nail varnish off and doesn't leave my nails stained - which is always a good thing! 

2. Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat - Boots £5.99 

Again - this is so affordable for what it does! If i'm working this doesn't really do much good because i use my hands a lot when unpacking orders & packing orders as well so it's a bit hands on and my manicures never last for long but on days i'm not working it's amazing! It leaves my nails looking silky and shiny and  it really is anti-chip. It makes my manicure last for days and just finishes them off perfectly! 

3. 17 Beehive Lipstick - Boots £4.59

Everyone knows about this lipstick so i wont go on for long but i love the fact it's completely fuss free and those days where you want a no make up make up look this is perfect! If you apply it lightly it adds just a touch of colour to your lips but if you apply it quite heavily you can get a really lovely peachy pinky sheen!

4. MUA Shade 30 (Pearl) - £1.00 - I couldn't find a link to this but here is one to the website MUA

How amazing is this shade! It's SO pigmented after just one swipe over the product and it's so creamy to the touch. I don't love a lot of the MUA eyeshadows as i am a bit of a snob when it comes to eyeshadows and i am very faithful to my MAC shadows but this is really lovely and i will make an exception for it. It's so pigmented and goes over the eyelid so smoothly and keeps its colour really nicely!

5. Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer - Boots £7.49

I have strange phases with this concealer - some weeks i love it some weeks i hate it but i like it enough to pop it into this 'tag' It really brightens my under eye bags and even if you do need to use a bit more it does a really good job of covering up bags & spots.

6. NYC Kohl Kajal Eyeliner 'Pure White' - Superdrug £1.99

I've just gotten back into using white eyeliner in my waterline and i bought this quite some time ago but i've loved it all along! One day i'd like to invest in a skin coloured eyeliner for my waterline but i do like the pop of brightness that this white eyeliner brings to my eyes. And for the price you can't complain really! I do have to reapply at least once throughout the day but for £1.99 you wouldn't expect Chanel quality for example. However a definite recommendation if you're looking for a high street eyeliner!

7. Topshop Crayon 'Mystical' - Topshop £7.50

(I'm afraid i couldn't find a specific link to this i'm sorry!)

I love this! I love to use this alongside my Naked 2 palette or alone. It looks perfect all over the eyelids and one the lower lash line. I think the colour is perfect! And it lasts quite a while for a crayon eyeshadow!

8. Maybelline 24 hour Colour Tattoo 'Immortal Charcoal' - Boots £4.99

I actually have four of these i just picked out this colour randomly!

I love these things and i genuinely think they work SO well. I mainly use them as base coats because it makes the eyeshadow such a strong colour and keeps it on for a lot longer. However i have watched tutorials where they just use this for the main colour and it works perfectly too. Sometimes i use my bronze colour as an all over lid colour and blend it out really well in the crease. They're so gorgeous and they do last SO long!

9. Maybelline One By One Mascara - Boots £8.49

I don't know how many times i can say how in love i am with this mascara. It makes my eyelashes look perfect and every single time i use it someone asks if i'm wearing fake eyelashes! What a fabulous compliment and what a fabulous mascara! I 100% recommend this!

10. Topshop Cream Blush 'Neon Rose' - Topshop £6.00

When i saw the price i couldn't quite believe myself/thought it was probably going to be rubbish but these are so lovely! They feel like powder once applied to the skin and seem to last all day. I love this colour because even though it's called Neon Rose and it looks quite daunting in the packaging it's such a lovely coraly pink colour when applied to the cheeks. I love wearing this with a tiny bit of highlight over the top - it looks so perfect with Dior Rose Diamond!

So they're my 'Top 10 under £10.00' - What are your favourites?! XO

My favourite eye combination at the moment...

Please please please excuse my absence ... I seem to have lost inspiration but i'd love to get some back! If you've got any blog ideas that you'd like me to do then please let me know.

I am trying to save money so i haven't been buying anything recently and not only has it been hard on my beauty loving heart but it's also put a bit of a standby with my blogging - i feel like i've not got anything to review/write about because i've not gotten anything new recently! Please help me and please accept my apology. 

Onwards & upwards hey ... Recently i've been absolutely loving this eye combination! I think it's a winner and i can't stop reaching for these two gorgeous colours!

These are the only brushes i use to create this look as i like to keep it as simple as possible.

1. Rock 'N' Roll Double Ended Brush - Bare Minerals Rocker Eye Kit - Debenhams £30 (for the whole set!)

I use this for my lower lash line just to add a smidgen of colour - it's so soft and makes lower lash application extremely simple. It's the perfect shape and size and i've loved it from day one

2 & 3 MAC 217 Blending Brush - MAC £17.00 

These are my two favourite brushes of all time and i know it might seem silly that i have two but if i had enough money i'd buy a lot more of these. They're the perfect blending brush and they're super soft and fluffy and makes blending a fun task as opposed to being a long and tedious one!

MAC Mulch Eyeshadow - MAC £10.00 

One of the most gorgeous eyeshadows i own! It applies like a dream and seems really creamy when placed onto the lid. It blends in with other colours so perfectly and has really brilliant lasting power. I adore wearing this alone because you can create a really powerful look with this or quite a subtle look - it's so useful to have in your collection if you're a lover of all things shimmery and brown! I apply this to my outer corner in a slight v shape and blend it half way through my crease with a MAC 217 and then onto my lash line with the Rock 'N' Roll brush.

 MAC All That Glitters Eyeshadow - MAC £10.00

A lovely pinky champagne colour that goes with pretty much every eyeshadow i own. I love to use this with Mulch because when blended together they make another beautiful colour and compliment each other wonderfully. I see this as a staple MAC eyeshadow to own - the amount of people that have spoken about how this is such a perfect colour is pretty impressive - i really recommend this!

For this look i apply it in the inner corners and once Mulch is applied i blend them both together using a clean 217 brush.

Here is the completed look (with eyeliner applied on the upper lash line and lashings of mascara)

I really love it and think it looks lovely and is brilliant for day or night and you can just add more Mulch to make it darker.

What's a combination you can't seem to beat recently? XO

how much is my face worth?

As soon as i saw this tag floating around i knew i had to do it! It's so interesting to see the amount of money we slap on our faces each day - i say interesting but it's probably more shocking than anything!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum - Boots £10.99

I use this for my base as the coverage isn't quite how i like it! I am a high coverage kinda gal and this just doesn't cut it but i adore it as a base. It leaves my skin really smooth and it smells fabulous - i use this instead of a primer and it does wonders for me!

 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - Boots £8.99 BUT £3.00 off at the moment so £5.99

I bought this quite a while ago but i've only recently started using this (i ran out of my normal foundation) and i am actually getting used to it. I really like the coverage it gives me and even though it's a bit darker than my skin colour it works quite well and gives a bit of life back to my face! It also smells lovely as well and buffs in puuuurrrfectly! 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer - Boots £7.49

I still don't know if i love this yet even though i've been using it for quite a while! I like to use concealers to obviously get rid of my bags but also to brighten my under eye area but i don't feel as though this actually does that. I'm going to use it all up and then see how i feel about it but for now i'm not swayed and i've used much cheaper ones in the past that i've like a lot more! 

Benefit Hello Flawless Pressed Powder - Debenhams £24.50

(I actually bought this from John Lewis but the John Lewis website isn't working tonight...)

I love this powder i really do. It makes my skin genuinely look flawless and it feels amazing to apply. This is the perfect colour for me (I'm 'gee i'm swell Ivory' or something weird like that!) and it's just dreamy - i really do recommend!  

MAC Blush 'Breath of Plum' - MAC £14.50 

   On the website this colour comes across a lot darker which is what i was hoping of when i ordered it but i still really love this colour and have been reaching for it a lot recently! I also like that it's not got any shimmer running through it as most of my blushes do!

MAC Blush 'Trace Gold' - MAC £14.50

I absolutely love this colour it's such a gorgeous gold-y bronze-y colour that looks amazing with all of my blushes. It is very sparkly but i do love that especially used with another blush that is matte.  

Dior Amber Diamonds Shimmer Powder - Selfridges £32

(I actually bought this from John Lewis but the John Lewis website isn't working tonight...)

I adore this! And if you've read my blog for a while you'll know that already. I use this highlighter with pretty much every look i go for. It such a gorgeous bronze shimmer than can be very subtle but can also be built up very nicely. On lazy days i use this alone as a blush and highlight in one - perfect? YES. 

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette - Debenhams £36

I recommend this to everyone i know and recently i've been loving Chopper and Bootycall. As everyone would say (so i wont go on for too long!) the Naked and Naked 2 palettes are just sensational and such good value for money. I've had both of mine since March and i use them all the time and they've still not hit pan surprisingly! 

Maybelline One by One Mascara - Boots £8.49

'Holy Grail' item right here! I adore this mascara - it makes my eyelashes look amazing and i am forever getting compliments about how long they look and a lot of people ask if they're fake! I really adore this mascara and i always have a back up of it!

Neals Yard Shea Nut & Rosehip Lip Balm - Without A Trace £6.50

I was so fed up of buying cheap lip balms and having horribly dry lips so i treated myself to this lip balm and i've not turned back! As soon as i've cleaned my teeth i apply this and my lips are set for the rest of the day! I love the scent and it's lasted me so long and there is still a lot left! So much better than anything i've ever tried and i don't go a day without it.

Bobbi Brown Lip Balm - Bobbi Brown - £15

  (I actually bought this from John Lewis but the John Lewis website isn't working tonight...)

If i fancy a bit of a shine to my lips i'll apply this after my Neals Yard lip balm - it gives a lovely glossy sheen whilst also protecting your lips. I was kind of swayed into buying this by the lovely an amazingly camp gentleman at the Bobbi Brown counter but i don't regret it! It smells amazing too!

SO that's the contents of my face today now let's add it up...

£10.99 + £8.99 + £7.49 + £24.50 + £14.50 + £14.50 + £32.00 + £36.00 + £8.49 + £6.50 + £15.00 =

£178.96!

To be honest i'm not shocked but it's just a bit silly to think i've got all of that on my face! Have you worked yours out? If so link me to your post - i'd love to see other peoples totals! XO