MUA Haul

Hi everyone!

I know it had been sooo long since I last posted but I have been so busy with college work and I really haven't had anything that I desperately wanted to blog about. If you haven't seen my last post you can have a read here: http://lipstickorlemonade.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/top-10-products-under-10.html.

So, I was taking a look on the MUA website because I'd heard abut their new palettes and I accidently bought a few things...by the way I few people had asked about ordering from the MUA website (whether is safe/good or not) and I'd just like to put it out there that I have never had a problem with ordering MUA online, they package everything really well individually wrapped bubble wrapped so that nothing gets damaged which and the delivery is often pretty quick.

Prime and Conceal

This is one of MUA's new products that it supposed to cover dark circles as well as priming the skin. I thought this sounded interesting and at only £1.50 I thought I may as well try it out! I haven't tried it properly yet but after swaching it on my hand it has quite a waxy texture so I am interested to give it a go.

Matte Lipsticks

These are also new from MUA. There are five lipsticks in their new matte range and I picked up four of them as they are only £1.00 each (I would of got all five but the nude didn't look too good).

This is the first one called Pouty Pink (the picture doesn't reflect how bright it is). It is such a gorgeous, girly, pink and reminds me a lot of macs chatterbox.

The next is a lovely pinky, peach called Peachy Keen. I know it is getting colder and peaches are more of a summer thing but I really love peach and coral lipsticks!

This is an amzing deep red called Scarlet Siren (a lot darker than the picture shows) and can be built up to look absolutely amazing. It has a slightly pinky/cherry feel to it but I think it is just perfect for this time of year.

I have always loved these dark plum lipsticks and I think they look amazing in the winter and in the evening. This is called Wild Berry and looks amazing in the packaging, but unfortunately when swaching on my hand it didn't show up very dark and just came out as a sheer purple. I'm hoping that I'll be able to build it up on the lips but I'll let you know. 

 

Matte Palette

 

This is what I was most excited about arriving as I am a real matte girl so MUA's new matte range was just the best thing ever to me. I particularly love matte eye-shadows and this palette is so great. I love all the colours and after swaching they are all really pigmented and come out really well, even the lightest ones. My favourite colour by far is fog which comes out as a beautiful steely blue. At only £4.00 I would recommend this soo much.

 

Eye Brushes

 

 

Suprisingly enough I have never tried any of the MUA brushes but whilst I was on their website last week I thought I'd have a look as I need some new eye brushes. On MUA they have three brushes for eye-shadows: E1, E2 and E3. They are only £1.95 each so I thought I'd give them all a go.

This is E1 which is a standard eye-shadow brush with a tapered, rounded edge. The brush part of all the brushes are soo soft I couldn't believe it when I felt them. I also love the design of the brushes as they have a nice long handle and look quite sleek and smooth.

This is E2 which is an eye-shadow contour brush. IT has a medium angled, tapered, flat top brush which is ideal for applying eye-shadow in the corner or crease of the eye. I am really looking forward to using this on a smoky eye.

   

E3 is the final brush that I got and it is a blending eye-shadow brush for shaping eye makeup. These brushes are really great for softening edges and blending your eye-shadow.

 

Fashionista Flawless Primer

 

 

I am always looking out for good drugstore primers and I had heard some good things about this one so I finally got around to buying it. It definitely leaves the skin really soft and silky as it describes on the tube. I can't wait to try this and see if it lives up to my expectations which actually aren't that high as it was only £3.00.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for reading, please leave me a comment and let me know if you enjoyed it and what your favourite thing is. Also if you have any of these products I would really love to know what you think of them. Ooh and if you would like me to do a more in-depth review of any of these or you have any other requests then just say in the comments box below. Speak soon!xxx



Top 10 Products Under £10

Hello everyone!

I first saw this tag on Fleur's youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/FleurDeForce for those of you who don't know her) and I loved it so much that I thought I would share with you my favourite 10 drugstore/highstreet pruducts that are under £10. Just a little note: the products are not ranked at all by my preference, it's just a random order!)

Real Techniques Brushes ~ £9.99
These brushes by Samantha Chapman are my favourite make-up brushes to use. They are affordable (most are under or just over £10), super soft to use and work really well. My favourite is the expert face brush and I use this most days for my foundation and sometimes concealer. You can get it here at boots: http://www.boots.com/en/Real-Techniques-Expert-Face-Brush_1277695/.



 (Left>right: Buffing brush, contour brush, expert face brush)

 

L'Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim ~ £6.99
If you are looking for the easiest way to get the cat eye look then go no further! I am in love with this eyeliner and probably the biggest fan of it too. It is a felt tip liner with a 0.4mm tip which makes it so easy to do a small, smooth line or build up to your desired thickness without making any mistakes. It also manages to stay on all day even when it is hot and you're a lil sweaty (mmm yum!) You can get it at Superdrug here, which is the cheapest place I found it: http://www.superdrug.com/loreal/loreal-superliner-perfect-slim-black-intense/invt/382152.

Rimmel 9-in-1 BB Cream ~ £6.99
This is my favourite BB cream and claims to prime, moisturise, minimize pores, conceal, cover, smooth, mattify, brighten and help to protect. I'm not convinced on all of these but it defiantly conceals brilliantly and works as a great primer. Because it is such a heavy, thick formula I only use this when I am having a particularly bad skin day or I use it instead of foundation if I'm going for a minimal make up day. It is also really good for the summer time as it has SPF 25, this combined with the great primer aspect makes it one of my summer essentials. I use the shade light which is possibly a tiny bit too dark from me and I'm not that pale (I would recommend Rimmel bring out a wider colour selection, but as it is just a BB cream you can get away with it with some blending). However if you are more tanned then go for shade medium which you can get here: http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-BB-Cream-9-in-1-Make-up_1281342/.

Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder ~ £6.99
Commonly known as the 'chocolate bronzer' because of how it looks and ,apparently, it's smell? this product has been raved about for sooo long and it is not hard to see why. This is my go to bronzer when I want a quick, easy look. The colour is so great it would look great on anyone, it also is very easy to build up; so if you only want a touch to contour then this is perfect but you can also build it up and make a full on bronzed look. I am also a big fan of the packaging, I don't know about you but when I open this up I just get a little excited, maybe due to fact it smells amazing (not like chocolate but still yummy). If you want more information, check it out here: http://www.boots.com/en/Bourjois-Delice-de-Poudre-Bronzing-Powder_35023/.

Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara ~ £7.99
When this first came out, I saw all the adverts and I wasn't too impressed if I'm honest. I thought it was just another one of Maybelline's mascaras that would just be disappointing. But as I was wondering through Boots I saw it on offer so I thought I would give it ago. This first time I used it I was very impressed, the brush is lovely to use because of the triangular-ish shape (I'll try and show below) which makes it easy to build volume. I have quite long lashes so I don't need much to lengthen them but I love loads of volume and this does the job just great! If you want one which is great for lengthening then check out the Maybelline 'The Falsies' mascara. These are the only two Maybelline mascaras which I am a fan of. I really hope Maybelline brings out a waterproof version of the Mega Plush because I would be the first to snap one up for the summer. I got mine from Boots, here: http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Volum-Express-The-Mega-Plush-Mascara_1321332/.

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Extreme Plump XL ~ £10
I had been searching for a lip plumper that actually made a difference for a while and this one is amazing! When I put this on you can actually notice the difference it makes and makes your lips seem so much fuller. It also had a lovely smell which I cannot get enough of, and I am also a big fan of the silver foil packaging of some of the Soap & Glory products. My only downside is that if I am having a sensitive skin/lip day then the tingling when you initially put it on can be a tiny bit painful, however it doesn't last long and goes pretty quickly. You can buy it here: http://www.boots.com/en/Sexy-Mother-Pucker™-XL-Lip-PlumpingGloss_1287190/

MUA Undress Me Too Eye Palette ~ £4
MUA can never disappoint in my eyes, their unbelievable prices are great for if you are just starting out with make-up and you want to investigate different colours/products and see what works for you. I really, really love their eye shadows as they are soo pigmented and last all day, so when the Undress Me Too palatte came out I couldn't wait to get it. I have been lusting over the Urban Decay Naked palette for a while now so when I heard this was a dupe I couldn't grab one fast enough. Anyone thinking about getting this palette, whya re you hesitating?! As a neutrals girl this palette could not be more perfect. It contains some mattes and a few more shimmery ones which are nice for changing it up a bit. Thisis by far my most used MUA palette (as you can see from the pictures!) MUA is only available at Superdrug and you can pick it up online here: http://www.superdrug.com/mua/mua-undress-mee-too-eye-palette/invt/635750.

Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder ~ £3.99
It couldn't be a top 10 drugstore products without including this! It has been talked, and talked, and talked about by everyone and their mother and it really isn't hard to see why. It is just the prefect powder, it controls shine, minimises the appearance of pores and gives a natural matte finish without making you look cakey. It lasts a lot longer than other powders I have used, I would safely say it lives up to the 5 hours promised. I used shade 004-Sandstorm but if you don't want to add any more colour on top of your foundation then go for shade transparent. http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-Stay-Matte-Pressed-Powder_1015573/.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer ~ £4.19
Again, this product is a real cult favourite. I am yet to meet/speak to someone who doesn't love this concealer. I use shade 2 which is Light and it is a perfect match. It covers my under-eye dark circles and helps to hide some of my redness. There is not one complaint I can make about this product, it is the prefect thickness and blends in really nicely. If I am having a really good skin day then I can get away with just concealer and this one is always my concealer of choice. I have tried sooo many drugstore concealers over and this beats them all by miles. I cannot tell you how much I love it, it is just so great for such a brilliant price! http://www.boots.com/en/Collection-2000-Lasting-Perfection-Concealer_984434/.

Rimmel 60 Second Nail Polish in #415-Instyle Coral ~ £3.69
Now that we are getting into summer and I am beginning to get a tan I have been searching for a really great coral and this one is my favourite that I have found. It is so pretty with more of a pinky tone which I love! I was already a big fan of the 60 second nail polishes because I am very, very impatient when it comes to waiting for my nails to dry so this is perfect for me. As well as this, the brush is wide so it is so easy to slap on if you are in a rush (which I seem to often be in!) There is such a wide colour selection it is really worth checking out the range, but this is deffinatly my favourite colour at the moment, and it makes a great toe colour. http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-60-Seconds-Nail-Polish_867420/.

I really hope you have enjoyed this post, let me know in the comments below and share it. Also, if you have any requests I would love to hear them!xxxx

Baking Mad!

Hi everyone!

I am a little mad about baking, I do it a lot. Any excuse to make some cookies or cupcakes then I'm there in a flash. Later on today I'm going over to one of my best friends house so I thought it'd be nice to take some brownies over and share them with you guys. Now, as a lover of baking I have tried out so many different recipes for brownies over the years and this recipe makes by far the best brownies in the world (I feel like I'm letting you in on a huge secret haha).

What you'll need:
185g butter
185g dark chocolate
85g plain flour
40g cocoa powder
3 eggs
275g caster sugar

How to:
1. Put the butter and dark chocolate into a saucepan and melt over a low heat until it's all smooth and there are no lumps. Once it's done put it to one side so it can cool down (I usually put it outside so it cools faster as it is always freezing here in the UK lol)
2. Line a square tin that is roughly 20cm x 20cm. I use aluminium foil for this as it saves so much time but you can also use baking paper. Also preheat the oven to 160°c (fan oven), 180°c (conventional oven) or gas mark 4.
3. Break the eggs into a bowl with the sugar and whisk them together on high speed for around 3-5 minutes. You'll know it's done wen it's a milkshake consistency.
4. Add the chocolate mixture to this and fold together gently with a spatula so you don't get rid of all the air you put in when you whisked it.
5. Sieve in the cocoa powder and flour and repeat the folding that you did previously. Stop just before you think you should because you don't want to over mix, this is where it so often goes wrong!
6. Pour the mixture into the tin making sure that it is spread around evenly. Pop it in the oven and leave for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes check it and if the middle wobbles then put it back in for another 5-10 minutes.
7. Once you think they're ready take them out the oven and leave them to completely cool. You can then reheat if you like them warm or eat them as they are, they are delicious both ways. I promise once you have tried them you will be dying to make more!

I hope you enjoyed making your brownies or just seeing how mine turned out. If you like this style of post (ie recipe styleey) then let me know in the comments below and I will be sure to do more. Also if you have any requests then I will be more than happy to give them ago, just let me know!

Speak soon! xxx

Summer Haul

Hello everyone!

So I accidently went shopping so I thought I would share with you a few things that I bought in the June sales. Hope you enjoy!

1.  Lip liner in shade brooding plum from MUA, Superdrug. I bought this to use with my Rimmel lipstick in shade 107 and it is a perfect match! - £1.00
   http://www.muastore.co.uk/index.php/lip-liner
2. Lace top dress from H&M. This was in the sale so was an absolute bargain and is the perfect summer dress, great for these hot, humid days. - £7.00
   http://www.hm.com/gb/subdepartment/sale?Nr=4294960578#Nr=4294960578&size=100
3. Passport holder from Cath Kidston. Bought this so that I wouldn't keep loosing and ruining my passport! - £5.00
   http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/p-19054-cath-kidston-strawberry-fields-passport-holder.aspx?referrer=category
4. Set of two Kempton rose ring binders from Cath Kidston. I need to sort out my college work and these would look so cute on my shelf. - £5.00
   http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/p-19054-cath-kidston-strawberry-fields-passport-holder.aspx?referrer=category
5. Monkey print crop top from H&M. I loved this adorable print and being such a bargain in the sale I could hardly leave it on the rail. - £2.00
   http://www.hm.com/gb/subdepartment/sale?Nr=4294963716#Nr=4294929330&size=100
6. Earrings from River Island. These are absolutely gorgeous and would look great with a maxi dress in the summer, the River Island sale is really worth checking out. - £3.00
   http://www.riverisland.com/women/sale/jewellery/Pink-printed-feather-drop-earrings-635534
7. Ear cuffs from River Island. Been wanting some of these for a while now so I got these ones. There are 4, two gold and two silver. - £1.00
   http://www.riverisland.com/women/sale/jewellery/Gold-and-silver-tone-word-ear-cuffs-pack-632020
8. Black skater dress with cat image from H&M. Such a simple design that can be styled up with wedges and a belt or dressed down with sandals and a denim jacket. - £12.99
   http://www.hm.com/gb/product/14219?article=14219-B (I couldn't find the exact one online, but this is very similar)
9. Lipstick from MUA, Superdrug. This is a beautiful coral in shade 16, nectar which is the perfect colour for summer. - £1.00
   http://www.muastore.co.uk/index.php/lipstick
10. Eye shadow palette from MUA, Superdrug. This palette, glamour days, contains 12 different shades all of which are shimmery and have such good pigmentation! - £4.00
    http://www.muastore.co.uk/index.php/12-shade-glamour-days
11. Silver spike chain ear cuff from River Island. Again, this is something I have had my eye on as all the celebrities have been wearing ear cuffs so I though I'd start off with a simple one and see how I liked it. - £1.00
    http://www.riverisland.com/women/sale/jewellery/Gold-tone-spike-chain-ear-cuff-627281

Hope you enjoyed this haul, if you did please let me know in the comments below. Also if you have any recommendations I would love to hear them. Thanks! xxx

Welcome!

Hi everyone!
So this is my first post of hopefully many. I'll be blogging about all sorts of things including cosmetics, beauty products and other ramblings of things I'm up to. Hope to speak to some of you in the not so distant future, my first (proper) blog post will hopefully be up tomorrow afternoon. So in the meantime enjoy the sun and I'll chat soon! xxx