TOP 3 MAC PRODUCTS

For the past year I managed to get myself a work in quite a stressful yet cute little job.
Claire's Accessories...
It's not ideal but for now it's earning me money and as I'm a trained piercer, it is often rewarding looking at the little ones seeing their new sparkly earrings.
SO OFF TOPIC
As I said I've been earning money and this means I can afford a lot more make-up and try out a lot more things.
Mac is something I was definitely keen to start using as I know it's one of the most hyped brands around. It's a little pricier than your average drugstore make-up however it's is good for the quality. I'd never consider spending more than £15 on a lipstick, but at £15.50, they are definitely worth the money.
Two of my favourite colours from my collection are Faux and Mehr, they're quite similar in shades but do differ in terms of darkness, pinkiness (Is that a word?!) and finish.


LIPSTICKS
Faux (My first ever lipstick from MAC)
Satin Finish
Medium pink nude


This is definitely one of my favourites, it looks pretty much matte but doesn't feel it at all. It lasts such a long time but as I said doesn't feel matte at all which would normally feel quite drying. This is just a casual colour that I'd wear everyday, even with minimal make-up as it is a natural colour. Retailing at £15.50, I'd normally be hesitant but I gave in and that's when my love for MAC lipsticks came about. I usually wear this on it's own but sometimes pair it with a lip liner slightly darker. 'Eastend Snob' by Rimmel isn't spot on which matching the colour but does look great with it.

Mehr
Matte Finish
Pinkier Medium Nude (Darker than Faux)


I love how this colour really brings out my lip shape. I don't always use it with a lip liner as I feel it doesn't really need one. The colour itself is a lot pinker and much richer which I actually really like. I would usually wear this with a fuller make-up look rather than a natural 'no eye make-up' or 'no foundation' as It definitely completes a look. Don't think you can't wear it on it's own though, it really does wonders! It is matte which I think makes it last a lot longer, it's not drying at all but does work a lot better on moisturised lips. I wouldn't usually wear this if I had cracking lips. It looks great with a gloss over the top, I really like 'Sugarbomb' by Benefit with this as it gives it a clear sheen with ever so slight shimmer.

*left Faux, right Mehr*

Another MAC favourite of mine is definitely the Mac Studio Fix Fluid in NC15, this is a medium-full coverage foundation which says lasts up to 8 hours. It can be slightly longer depending on what you're doing; this made it much better than I was expecting. It's a perfect colour match, NC13 is probably my colour for when I'm super pale in the winter, but this one is a great colour all round as you can bronze it up if needed. I apply it with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and dab it into my skin. It's a semi matte texture but still has a slight glow which is really nice. This retails for £21.50 which I think is a great price as it's easily mixable with other foundations. During the summer I mix it with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation which is slightly a darker colour, together they make the perfect texture and finish. 

A pump is available for an extra £4 but I thought it was a bit of a  rip off and I'm more than happy using it without the pump anyway.

MAC is definitely worth the money if you choose the right bits!

Niki27x

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May Favourites!

As we have dramatically hit June already, I'm feeling a lot more optimistic about the sun coming out and feeling a lot more fresher rather than tucked up 24/7 inside with 200 books and thick pj bottoms!

That means during May I've been scouting stores finding my favourites bits to prepare me for summer and just the usual things that I have been loving, enjoy!

Firstly, after my summer hype, it's a not so summery item.. Candles, whoops

I have been enjoying my Yankee Candles from September to now and have been falling in love with the scent over and over again! They last a rather long time, I got given this jar at Christmas and feel as if I've barely scraped the top! (RESULT) I also have these really cute small ones in little candle holder Buddhas which I got from the range.

     In this photos leads me onto another favourite, these adorable indoor flowers are dotted around my house now due to the fact they are so sweet are so fresh looking. They also last a really long time (at least a couple months) I had the pot myself but picked up the flowers from usual stores like Tesco and Homebase for no more than £3. I believe it's called a Calandiva but don't quote me on that!

During May I've done a big beauty clean out and found so many products that went into the dark and got forgotten about, however, something that's always stayed a favourite is the Real Techniques expert face brush. I own a lot of RT brushes although this by far is my favourite, it's perfect for anything (I usually use for foundation but also works amazingly with concealer, highlighter, and contouring) £9.99 from boots and other stores such as superdrug and Asda. Another beauty product which I have recently found in my makeup trunk (trunk is such a weird word?!) is my Clinique Blush compact in 120 Bashful blush. It's slightly coral toned and musty pink with a slight shimmer. It's absolutely perfect for summer and looks amazing with or without a tan! Comes with a decent sized mirror and a small angled brush (which o actually use for contouring!)

Another favourite of mine which I have actually rediscovered are the Benefit lip glosses which I got in a set. They contain 6 mini sized lip glosses. (Dallas, Coralista, Hoola, Sugarbomb, BellaBamba and Dande) My favourites at the moment are definitely Sugarbomb and Hoola; they look great over Mac Faux and Mac Mehr if you want an added shine to them without having sticky foul tasting lipgloss! My favourite colours are a very muted pink and adds a slight tinted glaze which is nice rather than a full pigmented gloss. They add a lovely shimmer which isn't over the top at all!

Another favourite that I re-bought from superdrug in the sale for around £10 is the Loreal Sublime Bronze fake tan in light to medium. It's basically a gel which you squirt onto a mit and run into all over your body. I use the St Tropez mitt. It's buildable and doesn't smell as vile as some tans. It's a really healthy looking glow and lasts a few days before it needs a top up. I grabbed mine from superdrug whilst it was on offer but it's normally just over £10 which for a tan is about an average price, however look out for deals!

My last favourite are these gorgeous ESSIE metallics which I've repurchased, one has a blue tint the other is pink tinted which admittedly is slightly more shimmered compared to the blue one which is a lot more metal. They last ages, only really need one coat and look amazing in terms of colour (Just like in the bottle) They work great for all year round but for summer I would prefer my favourite greeny blue in 'naughty naughtical' which I've picked up sample sizes off a few times. It's also shimmery with silver specs in which make it so light, summery and fresh looking!

-Niki27x-

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My 'feeling crappy' pamper night routine

If there's anyone that loves baths, it's me, and as I'm feeling a tad crappy I decided what's better than a good old pamper and writing a blog post!

Enjoy...

First I removed my contact lenses and ALL of my make-up with the No7 Eye makeup remover and the No7 Beautiful skin cleansing lotion. Once every scrape including eyebrows were off, I just cleaned my skin with the Refreshing cleansing mousse by Nivea. These products are kind to my skin and don't make it red and irritating like others!

After this I decided to run a lovely long

hot bubbly bath, as per usual. I had a delve into my LUSH box and picked a combination of the Orange bubble bar, the blue skies and fluffy white clouds bubble bar and the magic wand bubble bar, which I used a small amount of each along with my usual Field of dreams bubble bath from Imperial Leather which goes well with almost any bath bomb or bubble bar I've used. 

Whilst waiting for my bath to run, I'll pop on some feel good tunes, unless I want to listen to some calming, relaxing music, then I'd put on my night playlist on spotify which helps me to chill right out! 

During my bath, if I'm having a proper pamper I'll exfoliate and get my skin feeling soft and female again! For this I use Sugar crush Body wash and Sugar crush body scrub along with a exfoliating mitt from soap and glory, they often have 3 for 2 offers in boots so these matched with the Sugar crush body butter would be perfect. Plus they smell like lime which is so refreshing! 

After a good soak, I normally sit in a towel and dry off, instead of using body lotion or butter, I actually use Johnsons baby powder (weird I know) but it's actually a lot nicer feeling of the skin and obviously you're not sitting around feeling sticky and slimy, it makes my skin feel incredibly soft and smell amazing as well as non irritant (also a winner with freshly shaved skin!) The only downside is there's no moisture being put into your skin, like my lotions and butters usually do...

After a long bath, I immediately go to a face mask, the heat from the bath is brilliant for opening pores but I want something to moisture my skin and make it feel a lot fresher. I love the Sephora face masks which are literally masks lathered in soothing product for your face, this one here is the pearl mask for perfecting and brighting! If I don't have that, I'll usually go for a No7 face mask called heavenly hydration which is a lovely moisturising lotion. 

I'll keep this on for a while whilst doing other things like paint my nails or do some revision (least preferred) 

To paint my nails I love the Essie nail polishes or the old reliable Barry M polishes. 

Now I like to chill right out, usually snuggle up in my pyjamas with my cats or my boyfriend, light some lovely smelling candles (Clean Cotton Yankee!) and watch YouTube videos before bed. 

If you're ever feeling you need a pick-me-up, definitely follow these tips, use your own favourite products and smells and just treat yourself!

Niki27x 

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Smashbox Full Exposure Palette REVIEW

Getting this palette was actually a big step for me, being 16 at the time, not earning a lot;spending almost £40 on a single palette alone felt a bit of a risk.

I love natural shades, browns, creams, pinks, and of course black... 

What bought this product to my eyes; a line for matte and a line for shimmers and glitters.

There's 14 shades in total which are all a good size at a square 2p piece. There's also a brush which includes one side for matte and the other side which is a split brush for dark shimmer and light shimmer. 

Must I say the brush is AMAZING. Picks up colour brilliantly and blends it so well. Matte side is quite large if you've got small eyes but for me is perfect for blending and crease work.

Also with the palette you get a free mini full exposure mascara which is perfect for travel. The mascara isn't fantastic in terms of volumising and thickness however is great for length and separates  lashes perfectly! 

Here's a few snaps I've taken (after a well loved use!) 

PS. A massive mirror!

Double ended brush (Fluffy and shimmer side)

It's available in most BOOTS (which is where I got mine) but there should be other shops where you can buy this. Online is also a good option!

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