Forevermissvanity - A UK Lifestyle Blogger : makeup

Makeup by NARS

Last week I was kindly invited to Selfridges at the Manchester Trafford Centre for a makeover by one of the NARS makeup artists. NARS is a brand that I have heard so much about, I have never really had the chance to try. Where I live there are no NARS makeup counters so the only chance I have to try the brand is by going after work to the Leeds counter or when I'm visiting Manchester.

I'm always a little bit anxious when having makeovers as I'm very particular when it comes to my makeup. I don't like it too heavy, but I do like bright, bold lips. I often find that makeup artists can often get carried away and cake products on. When I met the makeup artist Emily, she was really approachable and knew exactly what I wanted. She also made me feel relaxed and in return, we had a great conversation.

The consultation started with a little bit of background knowledge about the NARs brand and a few questions about my skincare routine and how I like my makeup. The makeup artist brought out a variation of colours and we discussed which ones I'd like to try and what my problem areas are.

The products Emily used were:

Moisturiser: Luminous Moisturiser Cream
Primer: Multi-Protect Primer
Foundation: All Day Luminous Deauville Light 4
Concealer: Honey/Vanilla Radiant Creamy
Translucent Powder
Mod Rouge eyeshadow base
PortoVener Eyeshadow
Bengali Eyeshadow
Liner Car Plates Stylo
Mascara Lengthening Mascara
The Multiple Copacabana
Cheek Orgasm
Lip liner Jungle Red
Lip colour: Carmen

The products that I loved the most have to be the Copacabana Multiple, the Honey Radiant Concealer, the lip liner Jungle Red and the lip colour Carmen.

The Copacabana Multiple did an excellent job at highlighting just below brows to make my eyes look larger and my eyebrows more shaped. I always find that when I apply eyeshadow, my eyes look a lot smaller, but this product helped combat that. My next favourite product had to be honey radiant concealer. As someone that is always ill a good concealer is a must. I'm always suffering from heavy bags under my eyes and I've tried a lot of things to mask it but never had good luck. The honey radiant concealer worked with just one dab and made the bags under my eyes disappear and my skin look the best it has done in a very long time. Finally, the star attraction from this makeover has to be the most beautiful red lipstick I have ever tried, Carmen. Carmen is one of the new NARS Audacious lipsticks which applies very easily with just one stroke and offers full, long lasting coverage. The lipstick is semi-matte which means it has all the colour, but with a satin like finish that is not as drying. The lipstick stayed on for a considerable amount of time after the application and I was so impressed that I went and bought it after the makeover.

If you're looking to learn more about a brand like NARS or would like a day of pampering. The Manchester Trafford Centre are hosting a fabulous Mother's Day event. Every Mother's Day Selfridges Trafford host a lovely beauty event where mother's and daughters can come and enjoy beauty treatments, consultations, Prosecco, canapés and even take home some little goodies.

Mother’s Day Beauty Event, Selfridges Trafford
Date: Saturday 14th March
Time: 12pm-6pm
Tickets: £10 (redeemable against purchases made on the day)
Activity: Live singer, engraver, complimentary flower poise with spends over £150, complimentary consultations and treatments on various counters.

Have you had a NARS makeover before?

Looking fabulous during the winter season can often be time consuming and a great effort, especially when you have to contend torrential rain, gusty winds and dark mornings that make you feel like you want to stay in bed. Not only that, the weather also has a habit of making your skin feel drier than ever and the occasional winter humidity can also make your hair frizz. How are we supposed to contend with that? The key to winter beauty is keeping every simple - use a great moisturiser, always carry around a lip balm, make use of those hair masks and try going for neutral, simple to use makeup colours in the morning so that applying your makeup doesn't take as long.

The first item on my recommend products list is the Macadamia Deep Repair mask. The Deep Repair mask uses a combination of macadamia and argan oil both proven to give long lasting nourishment to dry and damaged hair which is then infused with tea tree oil and chamomile oil to give rejuvenate the hair and add shine. I have reviewed Macadamia products countless times on the blog and have never had a bad word to say. If I have a problem with my dry hair, they are my go-to brand.

Next on my list is this gorgeous Chanel blusher from their new autumn and winter range. The Joues Contraste powder blush in number 15 orchid rose is a fabulous product for adding subtle colour to the cheeks on a cold, harsh day and gives an over all refreshing appearance. This goes perfectly with the colours of the Naked Three palette, that when all is applied will give you a beautiful autumn natural look.

When it's cold outside, the first part of your face to really show signs of dryness tends to be the lips. Carrying around a good lip product like this Avene cold cream lip balm from Sknclinics* is a must. This lip balm promises to nourish, hydrate and protect the lips from 'external aggressions' such as bad weather and can be applied as often as required throughout the day.

Finally, a product I could not live without is this Dermalogica super rich repair cream. This Dermalogica moisturiser feels like a gift from heaven. Although it is listed as a 'heavy weight' skin cream, I find that this moisturiser absorbs quickly and effortlessly into the skin and feels as soft and as a light as feather. The Super Rich Repair cream suits those with chronically dry, dehydrated skin and helps replenish moisture levels whilst improving elasticity and tone. I use this everyday without fail and my skin feels better and looks so much better. In this cold weather, I wouldn't be seen without it.

Have you tried any of these products?

Finding the perfect makeup to wear at a festival can be a little bit of a nightmare. Most festivals involve you being stood in a muddy field and have a high prospect of the rain. The chances of you leaving the house looking glamorous and returning in the same state is either slim or none. Over the weekend at Parklife, I have seen some pretty terrible makeup and fashion disasters...

1) Why would you wear fake tan to a festival when rain is predicted?

A lot of people I saw were dripping orange and the colour of mud against their skin looked more like their natural skin colour. So many girls were walking around with smear marks all over their body and in the end, what was supposed to be a highly glamorous look made them appear more grim than glam. If you are feeling too pale, make sure you do your fake tan a few days before so you can allow it to settle correctly or check the weather and avoid it if it is raining. Better to look classy and pale, than orange and humiliated.

2) Don't cake on your makeup.

Yep, a lot of girls looked like they were destined to appear in a horror movie rather than a beauty pageant. It was raining too much that fake eyelashes were losing their grip, heavy smeared eyes were turning into panda eyes and their whole face looked like it was to be peeling off in the damp weather. Apply makeup lightly so the rain has less to smudge off. You can always reapply little bits later on in the day. Also, try using waterproof makeup. I doubt I could live without my L'oreal Waterproof Gel Eyeliner.

3) Please wear appropriate shoes.

I honestly felt so sorry for girls wearing converse and trainers when their feet was sinking an inch into the ground in mood. With stylish wellies such as Hunters and lots of amazing looking riding boots on the market, there's no excuse really. My old cheap riding boots from New Look did the trick over the weekend and left my feet dry, toasty and mud free on the inside.

When I go to festivals, I always opt for the minimal yet striking makeup look. I like to look vintage and a little bit rock'n'roll so it's cat flick eyeliner and red lips all the way for me. To create this look I used my Illamasqua Skinbase foundation that did not shift all day, my L'oreal waterproof gel eyeliner that did not need applying again all day and a red lipstick by the brand Astor which only needed applying once and only cost £1.50. To complete the look I used one of my favourite bronzers by Glo Minerals. This added a bit of warmth to my face and gave me a festival ready glow.

What makeup do you wear to festivals?

I can really imagine my friends faces when this post gets shared automatically onto my Facebook. One Direction Jessica, are you serious? It will be followed by a mass of questions as to why I like the band - which I don't really (only the odd song) and then suddenly someone will declare their love too and think I'm some kind of die hard. When I walked into Superdrug yesterday, I was searching for a bright blusher and a new lipstick. At the moment, I'm on a tight budget so I headed over to the place I knew I could get high quality makeup for a very affordable price - MUA.

I've been looking around for the last two weeks for affordable, good quality blushers and I came across this. The What Makes You Beautiful cheek tint is highly pigmented, in the perfect shade of pink for my skin tone and was 2 for £5 when I bought the One Direction lipstick. The packaging is quite pretty, although it does like ever so 'teenageish' and I'm probably a little bit too old, but it makes a cute item for my makeup case. When I have a little bit more money, I'm very tempted to go and buy a few more products.

When I was looking for products to buy, the first one that really caught my attention was the Kiss You lipstick in the shade 'I Wish' designed by Zayn. Bright lipsticks have always been my thing, I'm a little bit too obsessed with wearing them and I also have a slight obsession with collecting lipsticks from MUA. Combining the two, I knew I had to buy this.

This lipstick is for the bubble gum pink, girly lovers out there. It is lovely to wear, has quite a nice fragrance and applies really well. In fact, I don't think it smudged whilst I was wearing it and it definitely lasted a good few hours.

The lipstick itself is beautiful embossed with a naughts and crosses style pattern and the container is embedded with Zayn's signature, very similar to when MAC bring out collections. The container may feel cheap ( but what do you expect for paying £3?) but the product itself rivals some of biggest contenders in the lipstick market. In fact, I like this more than one of my MAC pink lipsticks.

Have you tried any of the One Direction MUA collection?

“No, this is not the beginning of a new chapter in my life; this is the beginning of a new book! That first book is already closed, ended, and tossed into the seas; this new book is newly opened, has just begun! Look, it is the first page! And it is a beautiful one!” ― C. JoyBell C.

Before I started blogging, I didn't really have a big makeup collection. My makeup set consisted of a few eyeliners, less than 10 nail polishes and a few red lipsticks. The collection I had could easily fit into the size of a small makeup bag, but now my makeup struggles to fit into a four drawer cabinet. When I started blogging, I realised how selecting various different shades of makeup could alter your entire look and I became experimental with the brands I used. The quote above is one of my favourites as it symbolises a fresh new start and when it comes to makeup, that's exactly what I want to achieve this year. I've become in a rut with my makeup style - each day wearing cat flick eyeliner and red lips. I want to learn about new and less well known brands this year, experiment with different colours and shop through different online retailers to find the best on the internet.

My first stop is the website Gerard International, a website that I have only recently come across. The brands that they sell are well known, but brands that I have never personally tried. The top image shows the brand Mii, which is one of the several brands that Gerard International sells. I'm really liking the look of their bright lipsticks, soft blush colours and earthy eyeshadows.

Their next items I would love to try is great range of fake tan by Kissed by Mii*. I'm not one of these people that likes to look bright orange, but I do love a good fake tan. I've reviewed several fake tans on my blog and I'm always looking to expand my collection. I love the packaging of these bottles and that they have a press applicator for easy use. The products have a light fragrance, which is a bonus for anyone looking to escape the 'biscuity tan smell' and they have extra moisturiser in them for people with dry skin. I can't wait to invest in these for the spring time. If you don't like applying the tan yourself and prefer to leave it to the professionals, Gerard International also offers a service where you can look for your nearest salon*.

Finally, I would really like to try different nail polish brands and having heard so much about Jessica nails, I would really like to try them. Not only do they have the same name as me, but they also have a variety of beautiful, soft pastel colours perfect for the spring time. Most of my nail polish collection has really bright colours, so I'm looking for a set of polishes that can make my nails look naturally polished.

Is there any new brands you're looking to try in 2014?

Everywhere you go, it's impossible to escape the big red 'Sale' signs at the moment. Each shop trying to lure in customers for half price gear, which in all fairness is usually worth around that amount to begin with. I admit, I'm one of these that can't resist a sale. Show me a big red sign and i'll be in there quicker than you can say stop. In fact, I've been in town nearly most days over the Christmas period and I've picked up some pretty fab items. Despite grabbing a handful of fabulous sale items, I've been pretty disappointed with this years sale shopping. I don't know whether it's just me, but shoppers this year seem to be going crazy. Swishing their way through each aisle and knocking everything over just to grab one t-shirt that has a few pounds taken off it. I've experienced a lot of quite rude shoppers giving me the evil eye for picking up an item before them and I've realised i'm incredibly lucky that I don't bruise easily as I've been knocked about going through the River Island sale rails. Although I paint a picture of a frenzied boxing day, in the end I survived and I walked away clutching a few items that made all the trauma worthwhile.

I didn't really see many beauty items that I wanted this year. My eyes kept wandering around all the nail polish sales, but I already have almost 200 nail polishes that I don't wear so I resisted the temptation. Instead the first beauty item I opted for was this Guerlain La Petite Robe Noir Gift Set from Boots. As mentioned previously, I'm obsessed with perfume so any opportunity to get a new bottle for a lower price I'm there. This Guerlain gift set was purchased in the Boots half price sale on Christmas Eve from the Boots online store for the price of £21 compared to the pre Christmas sale price of £42. I've always been drawn to this gift set because of the beauty bottle shape and I love perfumes with a strong fruity scent. This perfume is based around the fragrances of black cherry, rose and licorice.

My second sale item was this beautiful Lancome Alber Elbaz collectable eyeshadow for approximately £8.00. I spend a lot of my time wearing darker eyeshadow colours and I decided that this time I would opt for something a bit lighter and seeing this colour on sale made me leap at the opportunity. I love the Lancome Alber Elbaz collection - the packaging is beautiful and the shimmering shades look fabulous.

Have you bought anything nice in the sales?

I've always loved the idea of playing secret santa and when Rhiannon from the blog The Sparkly Panda said she was planning on doing one for UK bloggers, I jumped at the chance. Our names were all put in a hat and I was teamed up with Lucy from the blog Curiouser and Curiouser. We both had a budget of around £7.50 not including postage and the task was to buy each other items that represented our personalities and blogs. The secret santa wasn't entirely secret as me and Lucy had the opportunity to discuss via email our addresses and our interests, it was the present that remained a mystery.

My parcel arrived last week and when I opened it I was greeted by this beautifully written card. I couldn't believe how much thought had been put into my secret santa and Lucy had left me feeling absolutely spoilt.

The first item to grab my attention is the beautiful Maybelline lipstick in shade 902 Fuschia Flash. I'm a little bit obsessed with brightly coloured lips, especially the colour pink so this was perfect for me.

Second item was this lovely Bourjois Paris blusher. Having seen lots of bloggers rave about this product, I've always wanted to try it. Unfortunately I kept forgetting all about it and never got round to buying it. Thanks to Lucy I can now agree with all the hype surrounding their blushers and I have to say I'm in love with it.

Next was this Maybelline Colour Show nail polish. I love pink nails. I haven't had chance to try this product as I've had my nails professionally done for xmas, but in the New Year I can imagine myself wearing this quite a lot.

Christmas doesn't feel like Christmas unless there's some scented candles around the house and Lucy checked this box by gifting me two beautifully scented Yankee Candles.

A few sachets of hot chocolate and Body Shop chocolate scrub also made their way into my secret santa box.

There was some mascara and brow gel that was also included in the box. I'm really happy about receiving the mascara as I'm running out of my other cheaper brands and I prefer to wear my expensive mascaras when I need them the most.

My final and favourite item from my blogger secret santa is this wonderful scarf. I can't stop wearing it and it's so cosy. Even my partner ran off with it for the afternoon, it's a definitely a winning item. Thank you so much for the wonderful presents Lucy and thanks to Rhiannon for organising this. I definitely want to be a part of more blog swaps in the future.

If you want to see what I got Lucy, you can check it out here.

Have you played secret santa this year?

I admit I'm not one of the most frugal people around, but I love collecting samples. It's been an ongoing thing since I was quite young and discovered the likes of 'Free Samples UK' and 'Magic Freebies'. Yes, you have to be careful of not to sign up to any marketing scams, but if you know what you're doing and can see the legit sites from the scammers, you can bag yourself some fantastic freebies. In the picture above you will see my little sample case. It's full to the top with little samples from Chanel to tea bags and Olay to Aveena. I use these when I'm running low on a product and wanting to see what to buy next and they also come in really handy when I go on holiday.

Where to look:

http://www.latestfreestuff.co.uk/

I think this has to be my most trusted and most used site. I've never had any problems and always bagged some wonderful little items.

http://www.magicfreebiesuk.co.uk/

Magic Freebies is loaded with marketing scams, but there's quite a lot of genuine samples to get your hands on.

https://www.facebook.com/StudentMoneyTips

Student Money Tips ie '10 ways to have more money as a student' has some great money saving tips and the occasional good freebies.I've got this site on my favourites and check it regularly.

My latest freebie was found on the 'Latestfreestuff' website and it was a coupon for a free 30ml Body Shop handcream worth £5. Being a blogger I couldn't refuse the opportunity to get my hands this one and there's still 3 days left for those who are still interested!

Visting The Body Shop is always tempting. The sweet aromas that fill the air always makes me want to buy something. I ended up purchasing the Strawberry Eau De Toilette which wasn't quite free, but had 10% off due a promotional day. When I got to the counter I was offered a free Love Your Body Body Shop loyalty card worth £5 for spending over £5 in store today. The loyalty card gives you £5 credit to spend in store on your birthday, money off at certain times of the month and lots of special offers. The Body Shop has definitely been treating me well today.

I did a post about this when I first started my blog, but for a long period of time I've been obsessed with collecting magazine perfume samples. The obsession derived from my childhood memories of sniffing magazine pages and falling in love with the various scents on the page. For the last year or so I have been collecting magazine pages which have perfume samples and keeping them in a folder for when I need a different perfume to try or for when I'm looking for a new perfume to purchase. I call this my perfume diary and I love it. If anything, it's worth doing just to look at all the iconic perfume advertisements in the last few years. I recently tried a perfume from this folder from two years ago and it still worked. This could definitely be an interesting piece for those that love collecting magazine memorabilia in the future.

Finally, this isn't a freebie but the purchase was made thanks to a freebie I received a year ago. I had a few samples of Estee Lauder products from a beauty night at my local Boots and since then I have been using the Estee Lauder mascara I had been given for special occasions. Unfortunately my mascara sample has run out, but I feel in love with it so much that I spent £22 on buying one of the newer mascaras, the Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme. The mascara alone was supposed to cost £22, but due to another promotional offer, I was given this lovely little box set with a sample of makeup remover and night cream for the exact same price. Today has been a fabulous freebie Thursday.

Have you used any sample sites in the past?

Sometimes it's rather shocking how fast time flies. One minute it's the beginning of summer and you're walking down the streets in bare legs and little dresses, then before you know it you're reluctantly wrapped up in your scarf and parka jacket embracing the winter weather. It's been almost 3 months since I started my university summer break and in less than 2 weeks I'll be back in the classroom getting ready to begin my third year. I'm a mixture of fairly excited and really nervous and I know from the 30th of September I will probably be moving into the library and won't be seen until next year. I cannot believe how fast my time at university has gone. I remember two years ago next week starting university thinking that three years was going to drag, but every month that goes by, time seems to be getting quicker. I can't wait to finish university, get a job and move on to the next point of my career, but part of me will really miss it. This year I'm really making the most of my final year and participating in as much as possible so I really feel that I've lived my stint at university to the full.

As much as we might not acknowledge it, the majority of us feel more confident when we're dressed for success. This year I want to practice being the trendy journalist of the future and start dressing a little less slouchy and more career ready. The wish list above shows all the items I'd love to have in my wardrobe and makeup draw this autumn. Realistically buying every item isn't going to happen, but a girl can dream.

The first item on my wish list are these beautiful Kurt Geiger wedges. I've always been a KG girl and I'm very rarely out of my studded KG heels. I'd love another pair for my wardrobe, but something I could wear on a day to day basis. These wedges would be great for when the weather is having a good day and I'm able to have time off wearing the winter boots. It's said to snow pretty early this year so maybe that won't happen, but they would be a great investment for next summer too.

Secondly I really need to buy a case for my new phone. I've recently taken out a contract for the HTC One and I seriously don't trust myself with technology. The other year I took out a 24 month contract with my old phone and dropped it within 3 months - the screen was smashed beyond repair and I think i've finally learnt my lesson.

For the last few months I've really wanted a Michael Kors watch and hopefully i'll be able to buy the Runway watch once I've saved up in the next few months. I'm not usually a fan of watches, but Michael Kors have converted me. I love the classic style, the quality and the versatility of all their watches. I could see myself wearing this piece for years to come.

The watch and heels I've selected are in autumnal colours, therefore it would be nice to have a autumn inspired lipstick to go with them. I've been a fan of Illamasqua ever since I purchased my Eurydice a while back. The quality of their lipsticks are better than most other brands I've tried and they are really long lasting, which is great for a long day at university. I'd love to buy the Mac Groundwork paint pot to go with this lipstick as I think both the colours would look fantastic together.

Do you have any items you're lusting after at the moment?

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Another week is over and a new one is just around the corner. I'm really shocked how time has flown over this year. It feels like one minute I was getting my head in a spin as to whether my partner was going to propose and next month it will be exactly one year until we get married...I've been engaged nearly a year and a half, it feels like yesterday. I also can't believe I'm getting towards the end of my university holidays. One and a half months left and I feel that if I blink, i'll be sat in the university library crying my eyes out that the holidays are over. This year is going to be massive. Wedding planning, moving house, getting a new job and hopefully finishing university with a decent degree. It's mind boggling how many things i'm going to be juggling, but as long as I have my diary besides me, I know i'll get through it. Organisation is definitely the key.

So, less talk about the future, what's going on in my life now. Every now and then it's nice to take a break from discussing fashion and beauty and tell you all what's going on in my life. Currently, I have a border terrier that isn't mine sat at the end of my bed with his legs in a weird frogs legs position. Me and my parents are looking after a family friends dog called 'Ollie'. He's a sweet little thing, very well behaved and although he resembles a grumpy old man, he's rather cute. The downside? The quote 'make yourself at home' never seemed so appropriate. He has taken full reign of the house and my teeny Yorkshire Terrier is quivering with jealously. At least it's a temporary measure and we only have the little chap until Friday.

Ollie!

My doggy wearing his reindeer hoody because he's cold!

Secondly, as I have mentioned before, I have a very busy year starting from September and I've now made myself even busier by enrolling onto an Italian course. I love nothing more than learning new skills and although I'm at university, I felt eager to learn something different. I hope I become good enough to eventually write a short post in Italian for some of my European followers. It will be challenging, but so much fun.

Finally, coming up on the blog this week I have lots of exciting and very pretty products to show you. There's even more hair posts, beauty posts and a glimpse into my week as very exciting things are about to hopefully happen.

Are you doing anything exciting in the near future?

Today I thought I'd do a short blog post on my new favourite high-street foundation. For the last few months, if not nearly a year now, I've been blowing on my pennies on Clarins foundation. It has been one of my makeup staples for a very long time and envisioning my life without it would be like bread with no butter. Due to wedding saving, bills to pay and my outlandish shopping habits, I have landed myself in a realm where I'm strapped for cash. In all fairness, I'm usually a good girl. For every expensive item I have, I also have many budget items. I love a little bit of MAC, but MUA does the trick too. Back to the point...when I went shopping the other day, I had no option but to trawl through the array of drugstore foundations to find a shade and brand that would compare to my holy grail 'Skin Illusion'. Recently a few of my friends have been kicking up a fuss about the L'oreal Paris Lumi Magique. It has been years since I tried any L'oreal products, but my friends advised me that this would be a great money saver in my struggling times.

Verdict? I love it and it's probably now one of my favourite foundations. For once, a high street foundation hasn't brought me out in spots and the oily, creamy consistency has helped with my dry skin. The coverage is fair and adds a lovely shine to my face - something I've been missing for quite awhile. The 'light infusion' means that when I take my photos, my face is always glowing. The only issue I have with this product is that a lot of the shades seem the same. I really struggled finding a colour which would suit me the best. In the end I settled for a shade a slightly bit darker than my natural tone, but the warmth makes me look healthy and glowing, something I will not complain about. Price wise, I think for £10.99 it's an absolute steal. I've been wearing this foundation for weeks now and I've really had no complaints. Okay, it doesn't quite stay on the whole night through, but for £10.99 I personally wouldn't expect it to. For people with dry skin and those wanting a glamorous shine, I'd definitely give the L'oreal Paris Lumi Magique a try.

What do you think?

(Sorry for the blurry images, unfortunately my camera has been playing up!)

If you have ever wondered how celebrities keep their makeup looking freshly applied whilst at award shows and movie premiers, the secret is out. It's all down to a spritz of their favourite finishing sprays. Finishing sprays are great for those who are constantly rushing around and need to look flawless 24/7. I've always been interested in buying a finishing spray, but when there's so many on the market, it's difficult to choose which one to try out. I recently came across the new Mary Kay Makeup Finishing Spray and at £14.00 I thought it was a bargain.

For those who have never heard of Mary Kay cosmetics, the brand has stores in over 35 countries and has 2.5 million beauty consultants worldwide. The brand is over 50 years and with age, comes wisdom. Their products seem to be getting more inventive and better than ever.

The Mary Kay Finishing Spray is one of their newest product launches in partnership with Skindinavia. Mary Kay's finishing spray is said to last up to 16 hours and is a lightweight formula that washes off with ease. I found the spray really easy to use - simply by holding the bottle 8-10 inches away from my face then spraying, plus it had a rather nice scent.

When I go for my driving lessons, being a nervous driver, I often get all clammy and sweaty but my makeup remained in place this time. The formula is so light weight that I can't feel it on top of my regular foundation and overall I'm really impressed. £14.00 is hardly breaking the student bank and it's definitely a fantastic price for a celebrity inspired product. Would I repurchase it again? If it keeps living up to it's expectations - definitely.

http://www.marykay.co.uk/

The weather is ever so slightly picking up and i'm seeing myself grabbing more exotic coloured lipsticks. Orange and apricot shades are my favourite at the moment, because they are subtly bright and not too over the top. This Smooch lipstick in shade Inferno is my latest obsession and I like it that much, that I've bought two of them.

The first thing I need to comment on is the cute packaging. It has a vintage vibe and I love the adorable chantilly lace design. The casing has a soft, easy grip texture, which makes the lipstick easy to apply. It doesn't slip out of your hands and it helps create a surdy application. The packaging feels rather expensive for the £7.50 price tag, which makes this lipstick a great bargain.

I love the colour of the lipstick as it compliments my skin tone and hair colour, however I admit it's a colour that not everyone could probably pull off. I think the product is definitely more suited to darker hair colours as it makes the lipstick look dramatic, but yet toned down.

As I've mentioned before, I love this lipstick and adding fact that I've already bought another when I haven't even finished the first one, I can definitely see this as a product that I will be wearing for quite sometime.

http://www.smoochcosmeticsuk.com/

Have you tried any Smooch Cosmetics before?

When I choose my makeup, I always look for something that will give me a natural glow. As much as I love wearing fake eyelashes sometimes and hair extensions, I have always envied people who have natural beauty. When I saw the MeMeMe 'Naturally Nude' giftset, I knew it was something I needed to try. I love subtle pinks, creamy browns and tangy orange blush and to top it off, the kit also comes with a beautiful little makeup bag.

The set comes with two dew pots, a lipstick, nail polish and blusher. These little dew pots in Coral Blossom and Willow Whisper are absolutely delightful to work with. They blend in effortlessly and add a beautiful frosted shimmering effect, perfect for the autumn weather.

China Rose is a fabulous winter lipstick as it offers moisture with a long lasting satin finish. The lipstick is a beautiful baby pink, making it the ultimate cosmetic tool on those days where you're wanting to feel 'naturally nude.'

The coral Blush Me box is great for conturing those cheek bones and adds a naturally blushed finish to your face. Admittedly, I'm not so keen on the little brush that comes with the set but since it's free, there's nothing really to moan about.

MeMeMe's long lasting nail gloss in shade 'Ambitious' is the final item to appear in this boxset. I love the fact that it has a wide brush, making the application process quick and easy. I've been wearing the nail polish for the last few days (a little neater than my demonstration below) and I can happily say it still hasn't chipped. Working in a hotel means I knock my nails continuously so having a nail polish that doesn't chip is a revelation.

This giftset can be purchased £26.99 and available to buy from http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/

What do you think of the Naturally Nude Giftset?

♥♥♥

Makeup by NARS

Winter Beauty Must Have Products

Festival Makeup

What Makes You Beautiful: MUA One Direction Makeup

Brands to Try 2014 - Gerard International

December Sales: Beauty Edit

Blogger Secret Santa

A Sample a Day Keeps the purse at bay.

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Sunday Thoughts: Organisation is the key

L'oreal Paris Lumi Magique: Rose Sand

Makeup Finishing Spray - Mary Kay

Gimme a Smooch!

MeMeMe Naturally Nude Giftset