Smokey Wing Tutorial

Product Details:

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette - Burnt Orange, Primavera and Cyprus Umber.

Maybelline Gel Liner

Makeup Geek Cosmetics Eyeshadow - Corrupt

MAC Eyeliner - Feline

Ardell Lashes - Demi Wispies 

Brush Details:

MAC 224

MAC 219

MAC 211

Morphe E17

MAC 210

This look was inspired by a particular photo on instagram from makeup artist Keilidh Cashell. I'd never tried anything like this before but I loved how effortless it looked on her so I decided to try it myself and let me tell you I didn't want to take it off. 

Using a MAC 224 brush I blended Burnt Orange from the Modern Renaissance palette into my crease and all over my lid, I also used a Morphe E17 brush to blend this shade on the lower lash line. I then used a MAC 219 brush to add the shade Primavera to the inner corner of my eye. 

Next I started on the smokey wing. I used Maybelline Gel Liner and a MAC 210 brush (the perfect combination) and did a normal wing making sure that I didn't take it too far out. I then used MAC Feline Eyeliner and lined my waterline. 

The next step is smoking out the wing which requires some patience. Using a MAC 211 brush and the shade Cyprus Umber I began Going over the edges of the wing creating a gradient. I also did this on the lower lash line. Then I repeated this step with the Corrupt eyeshadow but kept it closer to the wing itself. I then repeated this again with the Cyprus Umber eyeshadow and again with Corrupt to make sure that the original lines of the wing were seamlessly blended out. 

After this was complete I popped on some mascara and some Demi Wispie lashes!

Let me know if you've used any of these products and what you think or if you have tried something similar yourself. See you soon!

Rebecca x

Empty Products

I always feel a great deal of accomplishment when I use up a product. For me, knowing that I've used up a product means I'll 100% repurchase because I obviously loved it!

My first empty is my beloved Benefit Rollerlash. This is hands down my favourite mascara of all time. It's black, it curls, it stays all day, it doesn't transfer onto my skin midday and it's easy to remove. I need to repurchase another one of these ASAP, I don't know how long I can be without it!

Up next is MAC Strobe Cream. I'm not surprised this is empty as I've been using it as a primer underneath my foundation near enough everyday. Will definitely repurchase this as it makes my foundation look super glowy. 

If you read my skincare post (click here if you haven't) you'll know how much I love the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo[+] and I'm so gutted that it's empty so I will definitely be picking up another one.

Last but not least is the Benefit Stay Don't Stray. I ran out of this a while ago and I've been using a concealer in replacement of this as an eyeshadow primer and although a concealer works well, nothing works as good as this. 

Have you finished off any products recently? Will you repurchase? Let me know in the comments below! See you soon!

Rebecca x

Spring Pink

Thinking back to about a year ago made me realise that I used no colour whatsoever, I was a neutrals girl completely! But times have changed and I think now is definitely the time of year to experiment and incorporate more colour into our makeup. 

After priming my eyelids from brow to lash line with concealer and setting it with a cream coloured eyeshadow I use a MAC 224 brush and the Makeup Geek eyeshadow (of course) in the shade Sorbet. Using backwards and forwards motions to begin with, I focus this directly in the crease and when there is less product on the brush I use circular motions to take it up to the upper crease.

Using a MAC 217 brush and the Makeup Geek eyeshadow in Cupcake I follow the same steps as previously however I don't take this colour up to the upper crease I just focus it directly in the crease itself using backwards and forwards motions.

Next taking my new little baby the Morphe 521 brush I focus the same Cupcake eyeshadow on the outer corner and the inner corner of the eye only leaving the centre of the lid free from any product. 

To give the eyeshadow more dimension I use the same Morphe 521 brush and the Makeup Geek eyeshadow in Bitten and layer this over the Cupcake shade on the outer and inner corner of the eyes.

Next is the star of the show, Makeup Geek eyeshadow in Whimsical. Using a MAC 242 brush I pack this in the centre of the lid going no higher than the crease. Because this eyeshadow is foiled it doesn't need an eyeshadow primer. I also use the same eyeshadow with a MAC 219 pencil brush to create the inner corner highlight too. 

I finish off this eyeshadow look I used the Morphe gel liner in Slate, Benefit Rollerlash mascara and a pair of Ardell Demi Wispie lashes. I didn't want any lashes that were too full as I wanted the eyeshadow to be the main focus.

All Makeup Geek eyeshadows (from left to right) Sorbet, Cupcake, Whimsical and Bitten. 

Brushes (from left to right) MAC 224, Morphe 521, MAC 217 and MAC 242

Let me know if you liked this look in the comments below! See you soon!

Rebecca x

Updated MAC Lipstick Collection With Swatches

Mac lipsticks are like doritos, you can't just have one. Since my first MAC lipstick collection post (link here) my collection has grown a fair amount! As I've said before when it comes to describing colours tI am a hot mess, so I've used the descriptions straight from MAC! (they know best!) So without any more rambling here it is!

(Left to right)

Myth (Satin) Light neutral nude.

Shy Girl (Cremesheen) Creamy neutral coral beige.

Hue (Glaze) Soft pale pink.

Honeylove (Matte) Light beige toned with rose.

Kinda Sexy (Matte) Neutral pinky rose.

Velvet Teddy (Matte) Deep toned beige.

Creme Cup (Cremesheen) Light blue pink.

Modesty (Cremesheen) Muted neutral pink.

Brave (Satin) Pink beige with white pearl.

Creme In Your Coffee (Cremesheen) Creamy mid toned pink brown.

Whirl (Matte) Dirty rose.

Stone (Matte) Muted greyish taupe brown.

Diva (Matte) Intense reddish burgundy.

Media (Satin) Intense reddish purple.

Rebel (Satin) Midtonal cream plum.

Ruby Woo (Matte) Vivid blue red.

Relentlessly Red (Retro Matte) Bright pinkish coral.

There's my updated MAC lipstick collection! Let me know what you're favourite MAC lipstick shades are in the comments! See you soon!

Rebecca x

Skincare Routine: Updated

Since my post last year in July about my skincare routine, things have drastically changed. And by drastically changed I mean that every product I was previously using has been changed for something else. I've found new products that work better for my skin and they have changed my skin for the better!

If you read my post about the Glam Glow Supermud Clearing Treatment (click here if you haven't!) I mentioned that I did have problems with my skin towards the end of last year which was one of the reasons why I changed my skincare routine completely. I didn't know whether it was the skincare I was using or the makeup I was using which is was making my skin so bad, so I changed it all completely and now my skin's in the best condition it's been in for a very long time. 

Around January was when I made the change in my routine after watching Anna-Maria's (xammasi on instagram) video on youtube (click here) of what products she uses on her skin. She said she uses La Roche-Posay skincare and I knew I had to convert because her skin is flawwlesssss. To start off I purchased the kit which has a cleanser, toner and moisturiser. In the morning and at night I wash my face with the La Roche-Posay Effalcar Purifying Foaming Gel. I think this cleanser is the reason why my skin is looking it's best recently it definitely thoroughly cleans my skin and removes any makeup residue. It certainly is purfying as it describes. 

Following this cleanser I use the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Clarifying Toner on a small cotton pad and sweep it over my skin to close my pores after cleansing. What I love about this is that it doesn't smell of anything as some toners can smell really strong like alcohol whereas this one doesn't really have a fragrance at all!

After cleansing and toning in the morning I use the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo[+] Moisturiser. This moisturiser is for unclogging the skin and anti-imperfections too! I like this moisturiser in the morning because it quickly mattifies but it's still hydrating so it's perfect for underneath makeup. 

At night after cleansing and toning I prefer a moisturiser that is more hydrating than the one I use in the morning so I use Clarins Hydraquench Cream. I've had this cream before and now I'm using it again it really made me realise why I loved it so much! It's so hydrating, sinks into my skin well and leaves my skin feeling amazing! 

If I use a face mask it is definitely the Glam Glow Supermud Clearing Treatment. I won't go into too much detail about this because I did write a full post on this product and how I use it (click here to read).

Last but not least is lipcare. The only lipbalm I use now is the MAC Lip Conditioner. I think I've spoke about this before in a post but this is truly amazing. A tiny little bit of this goes such a long way and it is so hydrating. I apply this last in my skincare routine and leave this on whilst I sleep or whilst I do my makeup and then when it comes to doing my lipstick at the end of my makeup my lips are soft and hydrated (no one wants crusty looking lipstick).

That's my updated skincare routine. What are your favourite skincare products? Let me know in the comments! See you soon!

Rebecca x

April Favourites

Coming up to the end of the month now so it's a monthly favourites post of course! I only have two products that I can actually say are my true favourites this month. 

My first favourite is the MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in the shade Give Me Sun. I picked this up whilst I was in London a few weeks ago after seeing youtuber Desi Perkins use it. I was using the NARS bronzer in the shade Laguna before this but as we're coming up to summer I wanted a warmer bronzer than what I was using, I really wanted to look like a bronzed goddess like I'd been to the Maldives for a fortnight. The product itself looks extremely daunting and very orange in its packaging but because I have a medium skintone it doesn't look orange on my skin, it looks super bronzey and really gives that summer glow! This is the bronzer I've been reaching for every single day and the product itself is beautiful, I know this is going to be my summer bronzer this year. 

My second and last favourite is the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless foundation (what a mouthful). I purchased this around November time and at first I didn't get on with it I really hated it and I felt like it made me look cakey. A few weeks back I came back to this foundation and tried it again with a different foundation brush to the one which I was using when I first purchased it. With this foundation a little goes a long way, because it is so pigmented the smallest amount goes a long way so if you use too much it can look like a mask on your face. But carrying on with the way I've been applying it, I have fell in love. Its a matte finish, lasts all day and doesn't feel heavy on the skin at all. It sets well and truly is my favourite foundation this month (and it comes with a pump which is a blessing for everyone!)

That's my miniature April favourites this month! What are yours? Let me know in the comments! See you soon!

Rebecca x

Hangover Makeup

If you're lucky enough to have a full day of doing nothing when you have a hangover then you are winning, because for most of us that isn't the case. After a night out, sleep is a must so getting up early to do a burgundy smokey eye is the last thing on anyones mind. I just throw on some makeup that'll make me look more awake but isn't too time consuming because I need that extra hour in bed.

Moisturing is always key after a night out because it's highly unlikely that you stumbled in and did a full evening cleanse, tone and moisturise routine before your head hit the pillow (we're all guilty) so putting the moisture back into your skin is a good way to start. I use La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo it's hydrating but it's not thick in consistency which makes it perfect for under makeup. 

L'oreal True Match foundation is great as a hangover foundation because of it's luminosity so your skin will appear brighter and more awake. The coverage is good too but the foundation itself isn't very long lasting. Concealer is a must to hide your tired eyes, Maybelline Eraser Eye is my favourite. 

No one has the time or the effort to use one powder for baking and the other for the rest of the face so a light dusting of the holy grail Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Setting Powder is a quick and easy way to set the foundation. 

Bronzer is good for putting colour and warmth back into the skin. MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Give Me Sun is my new absolute favourite.

I find that brow pencils are easy to work with to create a good shape without the effort of a pomade and brush. For hangover days (and hangover days only!) I sway away from my beloved dipbrow and just lightly define my brows with a MAC brow pencil in Lingering. 

Last but not least is a coat of mascara to try and make my eyes look more awake!

That's my recipe for hangover makeup, I suggest you pair this makeup with Netflix and carbs. Let me know what your key products for hangover makeup in the comments below! See you soon!

Rebecca x

Let's Talk Brushes

When it comes to good makeup, good brushes are just as imporant as the products you use. I've used many different brushes over the years and whilst I've discovered new brushes, I've got a few which are my favourites.

My top four face brushes are (from left to right) the MAC 129, MAC 168, MAC 188 and the Real Techniques Setting Brush.

MAC 129 is the brush I use to set my foundation with powder after I've used my loose powder to set my concealer (for more details here's my How To: Flawless Base post). I love this brush because it's the perfect size and it's pinched at the base so it's not perfectly round. The only problem I have is that sometimes the bristles on the brush shed, but this doesn't happen too often but it can be quite annoying trying to remove a bristle stuck to your foundation it's enough to drive a gal crazy on a Monday morning. Whenever I wash this brush I find that if I don't apply conditioner to it and let it soak it in for a while before rinsing, the bristles can be quite harsh. 

MAC 168 is the brush that I use to apply my contour, bronzer and blusher. The bristles are natural hairs which means that my powder products blend out seemlessly. I love that this brush is angled as it allows me to easily sculpt underneath my cheekbone. The angled brush also makes it easier to sweep blusher across the apples of my cheeks.

MAC 188 is a new recent favourite of mine. I have two of these brushes and I use one for foundation and one for highlight (this is a very versatile brush). Because this brush is a duofibre brush it blends out my foundation flawlessly and it's also great for applying highlight to the tops of the cheekbones too (not after it's had foundation on obviously). 

Real Techniques Setting Brush is a brush I've had for a very long time, just over two years I think and it's still going strong. I used this for a long time as a highlighter brush but when "baking" became more popular I now use it to apply loose powder underneath my eyes to set my concealer as it's small so it's the perfect shape to fit underneath my eyes.

I have 6 eye brushes which are my absolute favourites (from left to right) MAC 224, MAC 217, Real Techniques domed shadow brush, Morphe E17, Anastasia Beverly Hills 12 brow brush, MAC 210. 

MAC 224 is my little baby, I would be seriously lost without this brush. Because this brush has natural bristles it's perfect for blending eyeshadow. I use it to blend my transition colours and I also use it for nose contouring as well. The bristles on this brush are the same as the MAC 129 so again when I've washed the brush I condition it, this also makes the bristles softer on the skin around my eyes when I'm blending as this is thinest skin on the body. 

MAC 217 is the blending brush I use after blending my transition colour into my crease using the 224, the 217 is smaller so it really helps to sculpt out the crease and create the illusion of a really deep socket.

Real Techniques Domed Shadow Brush is the brush I use to apply and blend my eyeshadow primer, the brush has synthetic bristles so it's great for blending out cream products like eyeshadow primers. This brush is similar to the Real Techniques crease brush but this one is pinched at the bottom which makes it easier to pack on the primer. 

Morphe E17 is a brush which I use to apply eyeshadow to my lower lashline. Before this brush I used a pencil brush but it didn't blend the eyeshadow low enough underneath my eye and didnt blend seemlessly enough. Because this brush is fluffier it makes it so much easier to blend eyeshadow underneath my eyes.

Anastasia Beverly Hills 12 Brow Brush I don't know what on earth I was doing before this brow brush. I purchased it when I ordered my first Dipbrow and I've never looked back. The brow brush is so thin and stiff that it makes defined brows easy to do and because it's so thin it makes it super easy to make the brow have a thin taper at the end. 

MAC 210 is my favourite eyeliner brush because it's so thin. This brush makes eyeliner so easy because you don't have to worry about making the line too thick straight away. This brush also makes it very easy to do winged eyeliner because the brush is so fine. 

Those are my favourite all time brushes! Let me know what your favourite brushes are and why you love them in the comments! See you soon!

Rebecca x

February Favourites

The last week of February already? This month has been amazing for me especially after January which is everyones worst month out of the entire year. I've been away with my boyfriend, had some time off to myself, seen my friends and got to spend some time with my family also. I've also indulged in a few treats for myself (makeup treats, duh! What else would it be?) and now that life seems to have settled down back to normal after the hectic Christmas I'm back on my makeup game and trying out new products left, right and centre. So let's get started onto the products which I have been loving this month!

MAC Prep+Prime Highlighter Pen 

I have the shade Lightboost which is probably the most popular. This is a yellow toned liquid highlighter pen and I think it's great for highlighting the high points of the face (centre of the forehead, down the bridge of the nose, under the eyes and also a little underneath the cheekbones to sharpen the contour). What I love about this product is that it has a slight sheen so it brightens the skin beautifully and makes me look so much more awake and makes my skin look fresh, it blends easily and it is definitely not too heavy either so this can be put on top of foundation. I apply the product straight from the pen and blend it out with a Real Techniques Duofibre Contour Brush or a damp Beauty Blender and I feel like it adds more dimension to my face and makes my skin look so much more healthier. 

MAC Studio Fix Boldblack Lash

I've not heard many people talk about this mascara and honestly I don't think it receives the credit it deserves. Now, this is the first mascara I ever tried from MAC and I went through about three tubes of it before moving onto Benefit They're Real and then onto Rollerlash and  I've been using Rollerlash for a long time since it came out and it's been my number one. However, about two or three weeks ago I was sat at my desk doing my makeup, beating the face, slaying it etc and I spotted my boldblack mascara in my mascara section and I just used it because I haven't used it in so long and oh my goodness I forgot how BLACK this mascara is. Like wow I remembered why I loved this so much! And the reason why I've been using it so much is because I love wearing false lashes I wear them most of the time because I wasn't gifted with angel wings for lashes so because I wear lashes I'm not really looking for any length or volume in a mascara, I want a super black mascara that makes my natural lashes blend in with my false lashes and when this comes back in stock on the MAC website I'm definitely going to buy another because I've well and truly fell back in love with it. 

Makeup Geek Eyeshadows

Becca's talking about Makeup Geek eyeshadows again..shock. We all know how much I LIVE for these eyeshadows but this month in particular there's four shades that I've been particularly loving. (From left to right) Peach Smoothie, Creme Brulee, Frappe and Cocoa Bear have been little gems this month. So I've been using Peach Smoothie as my first transition shade with a MAC 224 brush and blend it into my crease and just up onto the brow bone and then go in with the Creme Brulee shade and do the same. Then taking a MAC 217 brush (major key) I blend Frappe into the crease and then using the same brush I blend Cocoa Bear into the crease again and i also blend this in the outer corner. By taking a darker colour and blending it into the crease each time it gives the illusion of a super deep socket and a larger lid. I pack any gold or copper colour onto the lid, smudge Frappe on the lower lash line pop on some falsies and I'm good to go and this has been my go-to eyeshadow look this month. This creates the most beautiful warm brown smokey eye (and you know I'm all about those warm eyeshadows) and I absolutely adore it. All my Makeup Geek eyeshadows are stored in a large Z palette (I've finally filled one full of Makeup Geek yay!) so all my favourites are kept together in one place!

MAC Lip Conditioner

Last but not least is this little beauty. Now lipbalms are a struggle, some are sticky, some don't work, some are gooey and some are just completely irrelevant as hell. I've always struggled to find a nourishing lipbalm that I can pop on before my makeup and let it soak in until I do my lipstick, and I took a leap of faith with this one. This is very pricey for a lipbalm but oh my goodness..wow. You know how MAC lipsticks kind of smell a bit like Cadbury's mini eggs? This is the same! Which is amazing because duh it smells good but this is such a wonderful lipbalm. You just squeeze the tiniest amount out of the tube pop on a thin layer and let it soak in. It's so nourishing and rich but its not sticky or gooey whatsoever. I feel like I have finally solved all my lipbalm issues and that makes me incredibly happy. 

Very unintentional that most of my favourites this month were from MAC that's just the way the cookie has crumbled in February. Let me know what your favourites have been this month in the comments as I would love to know! 

January Favourites

One more week and our January blues will be over! And I'm glad it's flown by but how shocking to think that one twelfth of 2016 has gone already! So since it's near enough the end of the month, here is a slightly early January favourites post! Although because of my absence over the past 2 months or so there have been so many favourites however I couldn't include them all so I narrowed it down to just a few staple products which I have been in love with recently.

My first favourite is the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in the shade Global Glow. If I had to pick my top 5 favourite makeup products there would definitely be a highlighter included. I love the look of dewy skin and not having glowing cheekbones makes me feel completely naked. It may come as a surprise but I don't actually own the shade Soft&Gentle I know a lot of people love it but there's just something about it which is too pink for me and I just don't like the look of it on myself, I tend to favour more champagne/golden tones in a highlighter so when my boyfriend got me this as a Christmas present I knew it was going to be the start of a beautiful friendship. Because this highlighter is quite dark and bronzey I think it works best by layering it over my Mary-Loumanizer highlighter with a MAC 188 brush and then blending it down into the bronzer on my cheeks as well, I also dust it on the sides of my forehead just above my eyebrows to add a bit of a glow there as well as this highlighter isn't as intense as the Mary-Loumanizer. 

Next up is the Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Setting Powder. I purchased this from the House of Fraser website on Black Friday so I was lucky enough to get a bit of money off as it was my first time trying it. I had seen youtubers and makeup artists on instagram and snapchat use this so much and I'd heard nothing but good things about it so I wanted to try it myself. I will never purchase another loose powder ever again except this one, it is like silk on my skin! I apply it using the Real Techniques Setting Brush to set my concealer underneath my eyes and also any oily areas such as my forehead and at the sides of my nose and then i'm done for the day! My under eyes don't look cakey or blotchy they just look smooth and flawless. I personally wouldn't use this as a powder for all over my face as I don't really like a matte finish I prefer to look dewy on the other areas which I don't set with this powder, but if you're a fan of the matte look then go for it!

The NYX Jumbo Pencil in the shade Milk is another product which is talked about on youtube and instagram and as I mentioned in my last post about visiting the Clothes Show this was definitely on my mental shopping list whilst I was at the NYX stand and when I spotted the jumbo pencils my eyes frantically scanned the whole rack for the Milk shade and luckily enough I got one! I've been using this to highlight my brow bone starting off with just a splodge of white underneath my eyebrows, then using a small concealer brush to guide it right underneath my eyebrows and then blending it into my eyeshadow primer with a Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush. 

Last but not least is the MAC Prep+Prime Highlighter Pen in the shade Lightboost. When it comes to contour and highlighting I prefer to use a cream or liquid to highlight the high points of my face and using a powder to contour. I love this product purely because of the colour and how easily it blends out, the colour is yellow toned which is what favours the shade of foundation I wear. I apply it under the eyes, in the centre of my forehead, down the centre of my nose and a small amount on my chin and then blend it all out with a damp Beauty Blender. 

Let me know what your favourite products are this month and if you've used any of my favourites and let me know what you think of them in the comments. See you soon!

Rebecca x

What's In My Makeup Bag

As far as makeup storage goes I keep most of my makeup in the drawer of my Ikea desk (click here for a picture from my instagram of my desk where I keep my makeup) and although I'd love to carry all my makeup with me wherever I go it would be slightly inconvenient/borderline impossible. However! I do like to keep my essentials with me when I'm out and about so here's what I keep in my bag everyday when I'm out and about!

It's very rare if I can remember to pack all my essentials in a makeup bag. I used to be good at it but as of now I pretty much just throw it all in my handbag as I'm leaving. 

I like to keep a powder brush and a powder in my makeup bag. Because I have combination/normal skin sometimes I do tend to get a bit of an oily T-zone throughout the day so having a powder with me is crucial to keep any shine under control! My MAC Studio Fix Powder compact also has a mirror so it's great for carrying around with me - you never know when you'll need a mirror! 

The weather is becoming colder now so recently I've been carrying round a lipbalm just incase my lips start to feel a bit dry throughout the day, I love Burts Bees Beeswax Lipbalm with Vitamin E and Peppermint! I love peppermint lipbalms they are so refreshing and this one doesn't apply too much product to the lip either! 

If I wear lipstick I always always always make sure I take my lipstick out with me otherwise I am lost! There is nothing worse than going to reapply your lipstick after eating or during the day and realising you've left it at home! I also carry my Dior Collagen Activ Lip Maximiser with me, incase I change my mind on my lipstick throughout the day and just want to go for a gloss instead! 

Last but not least I carry my Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream with me, there is nothing worse than the feeling of dry hands! And because I'm always out doing things, pulling my makeup case, writing and sanitizing my hands before doing makeup (which can be very drying!) my hands get neglected so it's important to look after them! I love this hand cream because it soaks into my skin quickly and doesn't leave that sticky feeling which I find some hand creams do.

So that wraps up what's in my everyday makeup bag, let me know what your everyday essentials are in the comments, I'd love to hear any favourites you have! See you soon!

Rebecca x

September Favourites

How is it the end of September already?! Not that I'm complaining because if you know me well enough you'll know how much I love autumn and winter! I can't wait for coats, cosy nights in, big jumpers and for Costa to bring out their christmas hot chocolate flavours! (Praying for black forest hot chocolate again this year). But anyway, since we are coming towards the end of the month it's time for my September favourites so these are the products which I have been loving this month! 

1. Benefit Hoola Bronzer is my first favourite of the month. I do love my NARS bronzer but having recently done work on contouring and highlighting on my makeup course I've fell back in love with this matte bronzer. I love using bronzers during these colder months to warm up the skin and I also like to use a stronger contour as well at this time of year. This bronzer works well for so many skin tones and can be used as a contour shade because it is matte and not too warm toned!

2. MAC Embark eyeshadow is my second favourite of the month, this eyeshadow came in my makeup kit and I also have a smaller sized one in my MAC burgundy times nine palette. I've been using this eyeshadow most days for the past 2 weeks, I blend my bronzer into my crease and then pack the Embark eyeshadow on my lid and then blend it into the crease colour. This is slowly becoming my go-to eyeshadow look and if you read my last blog post I predicted I would become hooked on this eyeshadow (makeup psychic).

3. MAC Rebel Lipstick. Everyone knew this was coming! This time of year is perfect for pulling out the plum lipstick and I wore this lipstick for the first time in months this week and oh wow I forgot how much I loved it! The colour stays all day although I do have to reapply after eating but the colour is absolutely amazing and I can't wait to wear this more throughout the next few months! If you've never worn a dark lipstick before but want to try one this season then I would definitely recommend this one. Now that I'm used to wearing Rebel I definitely want to go darker with my lipstick so let me know if you have any favourites! 

4. My last but not least favourite of the month is MAC 188 Duo Fibre Brush. What a fabulous brush! It is perfect for applying highlighter to the tops of the cheekbones, because it's a duo fibre brush it doesnt pick up too much product so you can control the level of highlight which you want and the size of the brush fits perfectly on the tops of the cheekbones to control where you want to apply your highlighter. 

That wraps up my favourites for this month and I've definitely got some new products lined up to try during October so keep your eyes peeled for reviews and who knows maybe some will creep up in next months favourites! Let me know what you have been loving this month in the comments! See you soon!

Rebecca x

New MAC Eyeshadows

Sooo.. Exciting news! Last week I started my course in Media Makeup which I've been waiting all summer to start! So now I'm officially a training makeup artist and I couldn't be happier! For the course, I had to purchase a makeup kit to get me started and as you can guess by the title I bought a MAC kit! The kit came with so many beautiful products but I was particularly excited about these four eyeshadows! I love MAC eyeshadows so I was super excited when I found out that there would be four more of their eyeshadows heading my way.

The shades included in my kit are (left to right) Shroom, Satin Taupe, Brun and Embark.

Shroom is a light cool toned cream colour which does have some shimmer and it is definitely one of my favourites out of the four shades I have, it blends really easily and looks lovely paired with Satin Taupe which is of course a taupe shade! This shade does have shimmer in it as well which means that its really easy to blend. Brun is a cool toned brown and I really liked the colour of it in the pan however when I swatched it on the back of my hand it definitely wasn't as pigmented as I hoped it would be! Embark is a red toned brown which was the shade I was most excited about! It's mid September now and I'm definitely feeling some autumn vibes creeping around in the UK so warm toned brown eyeshadows like this one are perfect for this season! And I'm definitely thinking that this is going to be one of my go to eyeshadows! 

Let me know what your favourite eyeshadows are (MAC or any other brand!) in the comments! See you soon! 

Rebecca x

Tenth Blog Post

Double figures! This is my tenth blog post so to make it all about the big 1 0 I thought my tenth blog post should be about my ten favourite makeup products! It was really really hard to narrow my favourites down to just ten and unfortunately I have more than ten favourite products but obviously there are some which just didn't make the cut! So, without any more rambling on here are my top ten favourite makeup products.

1. Mary-Lou Manizer from The Balm Cosmetics. If you've read my August Favourites blog post you'll know all about why I love this highlighter, but if you didn't then I'll explain it all again. If you're like me and you are all about the strong highlight game then you will love this! Out of all the highlighters I've used this is the most intense one, I first bought this product in December and it's now September and I've been using it pretty much everyday and it barely even looks used! A little bit goes a long way with this product and it blends beautifully. I apply it to the tops of my cheekbones, tip of my nose and on my cupids bow and any left over on my brush goes in the centre of my forehead (gotta get that glow on). I find powder highlighters work best for me than cream or liquid highlighters because I do set my foundation with powder so cream and liquid products don't blend on top of my powder very well (or at all for that matter) so I'm glad that this is a powder product as it applies so much easier. I have a medium skin tone when I've fake tanned which is pretty much all the time so the champagne colour of this highlighter is the perfect shade. 

2. Laguna Bronzer from NARS. Again if you read my July Favourites post you will know all about my feels for this product but reading about it twice never hurt nobody. I used to love Hoola bronzer from Benefit and I had it for a long time (at one point I even used it as a powder to set my foundation but we can forget about that time in my life) and I loved it but recently when I've been going on nights out and I'm more fake tanned than on a day to day basis so the Hoola bronzer just wasn't dark enough and it started to look a bit grey (not chic). I'd heard great things about this bronzer and I loved that it has a red undertone so it would be perfect for those times when my skin is darker because of my fake tan. And then that was it! I was hooked! And I've been hooked ever since. I haven't used any other bronzer because I love this one so much! The product has gold flecks in it but when you apply it to the skin personally I can't see any shimmer which also makes it a perfect product for contouring. It is a deep colour bronzer so I tend to steer away from it on my pale days but the rest of the time I can't get enough. I use it to contour my cheekbones and then blend it up towards my temples and then under my jawline as well. If you're looking for a new bronzer, this one is amazing, I've only just hit pan on it and I've been using it nearly everyday for about two months maybe? It's a little pricey but personally I think it's worth every single penny.

3. MAC Fluidline Gel Liner in Blacktrack. I only used to wear eyeliner when I went on a night out because I couldn't really be bothered with the effort that it took to get a straight line across my lashline however, I think it was because I was using the wrong products. I found that liquid liners were too messy for me and I also found that eyeliner pens were too thick for me to work with so I thought enough is enough! I had to invest in a gel liner and a thin brush so I could get this liner game going! I bought this eyeliner along with the MAC 210 Eyeliner Brush and oh how much easier this made my life! Because the brush is so thin I don't have to worry about drawing my line too thick and I can get a good sharp point on my wing as well but as good as the brush is the eyeliner itself is what wowed me. It's quite creamy so it's really easy to apply and it sets with kind of a semi matte finish which I love because I didn't like the glossy look which other eyeliners gave me. The product is long wearing and best of all doesn't transfer onto my eyelids! All these reasons are why I've been wearing eyeliner more and more because I find it so much easier! Not everyone prefers a gel eyeliner and a brush but it works perfectly for me and has made doing my eyeliner much more easier!

4. Hello Flawless Custom Powder Cover-up from Benefit. Finding the right powder in the right shade was the biggest struggle for me. Most powders I'd used were too chalky, too red toned, too cakey or just made my face look flat! It was a disaster but I am a big fan of Benefit products so I thought I'd try it, I had no hopes of it being amazing because of the disappointment I'd had from other powders but I was pleasantly surprised. I have the shade Honey and it's kind of got a yellow undertone which is great because it means that my face will match my fake tan. It gives a demi matte finish so my skin still actually looks like skin (?) and it makes my foundation look flawless. The only downside to this product is that it doesn't last very long, it's only 1 or two months after buying it when I find my self getting to the last little bit and need to purchase another. But it's still one of my top ten favourite makeup products because it's the perfect shade, texture and finish for my skin so I don't mind going out and buying it more often than I'd like to. 

5. Naked Basics Palette from Urban Decay this is in my favourites because it is my most used palette. It has 6 eyeshadows (Venus, Foxy, Walk of Shame, Naked 2, Faint and Crave) which are all matte except for Venus. I love this palette because of its wearable shades and how you can create an eye makeup look using every single eyeshadow in the palette which is something you can't do with many palettes! I use the shade Foxy everyday to set my eyeshadow primer so that all my eyeshadows blend better as trying to blend powder into a liquid eyeshadow primer is very difficult as you can imagine. Venus is lovely for a brow bone and inner corner highlight and I tend to use Walk of Shame on the inner part of my lid, Naked 2 as a transition colour in my crease, Faint on the outer section of my lid and blended on my bottom lashline and Crave in my outer corner. Despite the eyeshadows being matte they are really creamy and blend like a dream! 

6. Peppermint Lipbalm from EOS. I've heard people rave about EOS lipbalms and I've heard people who don't like them and as a lipbalm on its own I personally think it's pretty average. BUT what I love about these lipbalms is that because they are quite waxy they don't give off much product when you apply it. This is why these lipbalms are absolutely perfect to put on before applying lipstick! Although I love a matte lipstick they can be quite drying but no one wants a big thick gloopy layer of lipbalm on just before applying lipstick! So what I tend to do is just sweep my EOS lipbalm over my lips once and then apply my lipstick. So matte lipsticks are no longer drying and I don't have to waste time waiting for a thicker lipbalm to soak in! Problem solved.

7. Stay Don't Stray from Benefit. Until about 6 months ago I never bothered with eyeshadow primers. The ones I had used just didn't do anything for me, if anything they made it harder for me to blend my eyeshadow and so I abandoned ship. However, last christmas I treated myself to one of the Benefit christmas boxes which contained 4 eyeshadows, a minature They're Real mascara and a sample size of the Stay Don't Stray eyeshadow primer so I thought I'd give it a try! This primer has a concealer in it as well which means that it adds coverage so that I can start my eyeshadow with an even base. I set it with the Foxy eyeshadow from my Urban Decay Naked Basics palette so my eyeshadows blend easier. The primer makes my eyeshadow last longer and I've noticed that when I wear this eyeshadow primer my eye makeup stays put for longer and doesnt move around, and because I loved it so much I bought the full sized one!

8. Modesty Lipstick from MAC. This is one my favourite lipsticks. It's a creme sheen lipstick so it's super moisturising and the colour is perfect for everyday. It can be so hard to find a lipstick that goes with most makeup looks and lasts long enough to wear everyday. The colour is kind of a dark nude with a hint of pink, a lot of people (including me) describe it as a 'your lips but better' colour. I love owning this lipstick because I know that I always have it to fall back on if I'm being indecisive about which lipstick to wear.

9. Rimmel London 1000 Kisses Lipliner in Tiramisu. This lipliner is in my favourites because it exactly matches my MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick and it took me so long to find a good matching lip liner for this lipstick! However, it's also really pigmented as well so it's great to wear on its own all over the lips. The lipliner lasts all day and I always find that I never have to top it up. Although the lipstick is really pigmented and a great colour if worn alone it can be a little drying.

10. Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade if you know me personally or you've read my Lazy Day Makeup post you will know how much I love this product. This is the only product in my makeup routine that I am not willing to change. The dipbrow is waterproof, smudge proof and basically bulletproof! The formula is creamy and glides on like a dream. I have been using this since December and 8 months later I'm only about two thirds of the way through my pot. I love love love this product so much because of how easy it is to apply and how long it lasts. If you're all about the strong brow - get this and you will not be disappointed!

So, that wraps up my tenth blog post! It's been a lengthy one but a little reading never hurts! Let me know what your top ten makeup products are! See you soon!

Rebecca x

August Favourites

So it's the last day of August! I can't believe how fast this month has gone! All in all August has been one hell of a busy month for me! And there are a few products which have been my absolute saviours this month whilst I've been away.

My first August favourite is my MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation. Every man and his dog has heard about this foundation! I've spoke to people who love it and I've spoke to people who hate it but I first purchased this foundation nearly 3 years ago and personally I tend to fall in and out of love with it but recently I just can't get enough! Before switching back to my studio fix I was using my Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation, which I love because of it's flawless, full coverage matte finish! However, at the start of August I went to iBiza for a week and didn't fancy packing on the layers of a full coverage foundation but I'm not one to go without any makeup so I toned down the coverage to my studio fix fluid. Oh my goodness I fell back in love again! I forgot how well this foundation just glides on my skin and has that lovely semi-matte finish which I've been loving this month! I love how you can use a small amount of product and have a lighter coverage or you can build it up in areas where you need it for more coverage. 

My second favourite of the month is the Aussie Take the Heat 3 Minute Miracle Deep Treatment. When I go abroad my hair tends to suffer with the sun and combining that with all the straightening and curling on an evening (I wasn't blessed with naturally beautiful hair it's more of a fluffy mess) my hair felt like it was on it's last legs. Sometimes using a treatment once a week is just not enough for me, my hair is thick and long so it needs extra TLC. So, I've been using the 3 minute miracle as my conditioner everyday instead of using it as a one off treatment. After shampooing I slather my hair in this product and then tie it up whilst I exfoliate then make sure all the product is rinsed out so I have no build up. Afterwards my hair feels softer and much more healthy, my ends no longer feel dry and my hair is much more easier to style! I can't stop using this as my conditioner because I LOVE the way my hair feels afterwards! 

My last but certainly not least favourite of this month is my Mary-Lou Manizer from The Balm Cosmetics. This is my absolute favourite ever highlighter! I've had it since December and used it near enough every single day and it looks barely used! But because it's summer I've been all over that glowly bronzey makeup! And this product just puts the icing on the cake! It's kind of like a champagne gold highlighter and it blends beautifully on the skin. Usually after I've applied my bronzer I apply this to the high points of my cheekbones, on the tip of my nose and cupids bow then whatever is left on my brush I dust in the centre of my forehead. A small amount of product goes a long way! And I find that using a Real Techniques setting brush or the Real Techniques duo fibre contour brush works best for this product! If you're all about the strong highlighter then I 100% recommend this product!

Those are my favourite products for this month and hopefully September has some more to offer! Let me know what your favourite products are this month in the comments! See you soon!

Rebecca x

MAC Lipstick Collection

There's only one rule when it comes to MAC lipsticks and it's that you can never have too many! Whilst I dream of owning, well let's face it ALL OF THEM! I'm lucky enough to have my own little collection of my 6 holygrail lipsticks.

There are so many things RIGHT about MAC lipsticks. To start with they're long lasting and there are so many shades to choose from! (And I don't know if this is just me but I think they smell like Cadburys Mini Eggs!) No matter what makeup look you choose - there is always a beautiful MAC lipstick to pair with it! 

I have six MAC lipsticks all together but these first four are my nude colours! Going from left to right on the swatch photo above the shades are Velvet Teddy, Hue, Modesty and Creme Cup.

Velvet Teddy is a matte lipstick, very long wearing and incredibly pigmented. It's more of a brown nude than a pink nude and it is definitely one of my favourites - it makes me feel very 90s! 

Hue is the lipstick which I have used the most out of my collection. It's a glaze lipstick and although its not as pigmented as the other lipsticks, it's my go-to lipstick for a night out and looks amazing with a nude lipliner and a smokey eye! 

Modesty is a cremesheen lipstick and the only way I can describe the colour of this lipstick is kind of a "your lips but better" if that makes any sense? It's definitely a shade that can be used with any makeup which is why I use it for my everyday lipstick and I'm so glad I came across this because I know I always have this trusty shade to fall back on! The cremesheen lipsticks are really moisturising as well and they are really long wearing considering how moisturising they are! 

Last but not least of my nude lipsticks is Creme Cup! Creme Cup was the first ever lipstick I bought from MAC so this was the one that got me hooked! It's a cremesheen again so its moisturising. This is more of a pink shade but I'd include it more into my nude collection than my colours. I usually wear this lipstick with a neutral eye and pop my Dior Collagen Activ Lip Maximiser over the top. 

The last two shades of my lipstick collection are ones which I don't tend to reach for as much as my nude lipsticks. 

The first shade on the left is Relentlessly Red. It's a retro matte lipstick and I fell in love with it as soon as I swatched it in the shop! I actually went in search of a red lipstick but this one is more of a pinky red which I love because it's so bright!

The other shade is Rebel which is a perfect colour to buy if you want to start getting into dark lipsticks but you're a bit weary! I purchased this a year ago and it took me a while to use it for the first time because I didn't know what makeup look would go best with it but now that I've got that sorted a strong contour and neutral eye is what I love to use with this lipstick. I am so excited for autumn to come around again because you will not be able to get this lipstick off my face!

Let me know what your favourite shades of MAC lipstick are! Or any other brands of lipstick which you love to use in the comments! See you soon!

Rebecca x