Blog Sale

Hey everyone,

I've got a few beauty bits and pieces to pass on so decided to pop them in a wee blog sale. I'm moving flat in a few weeks so I've added a few bits and reduced prices or pulled together some bundles at lower prices. I'll consider offers on a bulk purchase.

The general rules/instructions are noted below but do let me know if you have any questions. Happy browsing!

• All items have been purchased by me and either tested or lightly used (unless otherwise specified) 
• UK shipping is £3.00, there's no extra charge for additional items
• Contact me for international shipping rates
• Please comment on this post or email stacey.mckane@googlemail.com with your request and Paypal email address 
• Payment via Paypal only - please pay within a couple of days 
• Parcels will be shipped within two days of payment receipt

Now, onto the goodies!

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder foundation in Natural Beige - used 6-8x - £16 now £10

MAC Studio Sculpt foundation in NC40 - used 5x - £12 now £9

MAC Mineralize concealer in NC35 - used 1x - £8 now £5 

NARS blush in Exhibit A - used 3x - £14 now £9
NARS blush in Gina - 85% remaining - £8

Illamasqua blush in Sophie - used 6-8x - £9 now £6

BeneFit Watt’s Up highlighter stick (smudger lid missing) - 90% remaining - £8 now £5

MAC Pro Longwear eyeshadow in Sweet Satisfaction - 90% remaining - £7 now £4
Laura Mercier creme eyeliner in Violet - 85% remaining, still very creamy - £5

Sleek eyeshadow palette in Vintage Romance - used some shades 4-5x - £3 now £1.50
Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pink Gold - 85% remaining - £1

Lancome Le Crayon Sourcils in 030 Brun - sharpened 2x - £4 now £2

Wet’n’Wild eyeshadow in Envy - used 1x - £1

YSL liquid liner in Gunmetal Grey - swatched - £1
No7 Stay Perfect Metallic Eyes eyeliner in Camouflage - swatched - £1.50
OR ALL 6 FOR £4

Essie Bikini So Teeny - used 2x - £3

Essie Sand Tropez - used 4x - £2

Essie Navigate Her - used 2x - £2

Essie A Crewed Interest - used 2x - £2

OR ALL 4 FOR £4.50

 Butter London in Pillar Box Red - used 2x - £4
Nails Inc in New Oxford Street - used 2x - £4
Deborah Lippmann in Hit Me With Your Best Shot - used 3x - £5
OPI in Live Love Carnival - used 2x - £3
OPI in Ogre The Top Blue - used 3x - £3

Super Facialist by Una Brennan in Rose Hydrate moisture mask - used 3x - £3 now £1.50 

The Sanctury Time Reversal face mask - used 2x - £3 now £1.50

Nip+Fab Glycolic Instant Fix face mask - used 1x - £4 now £2

Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Reviver - used 1x - £5 now £2.50

Garnier Moisture Match for Dull Skin - used 1x - £1 now 50p

Body Shop Honeymania cream body scrub - tested, 95% remaining - £4 now £2

Body Shop Vineyard Peach cream body scrub - new - £4 now £2

NOTD: Barry M Gelly in Watermelon & No7 Starshower

This was a NOTD I found languishing in my many draft posts. I decided against posting it as I was left feeling a little underwhelmed with my first roll of the dice with Barry M's Gelly polish. In hindsight I think my expectations were just a bit inflated and I did love this manicure combination. 

Watermelon was a bit tricky to apply and didn't look as glossy as I was expecting but I've since tried two or three other polishes from this range which do look very glossy so perhaps this is just a bit of a dud in that regard. The shade is something I've struggled to find elsewhere; it's darker and more green than a teal but it's not super green either. I think it would suit most people and it doesn't look too outlandish. The wear time on this polish wasn't great either; it chipped within a couple of days. At under £4 it wasn't a bad buy but if you already have a similar shade, I wouldn't be rushing out to pick this up. It does make a nice pedicure colour too - that's what I've got on just now.

Starshower was a random purchase but I've grown quite fond of it both as a general manicure colour and as an accent nail against deeper jewel type tones. I like it especially next to Watermelon because I feel that it 'lifts' it a bit. Application and wear time with this polish are both much better. No7 polishes were never a product I rated previously but I picked this up for £3 with a voucher so it's definitely worth a look!

Have you tried any of Barry M's Gelly polishes? Let me know what you thought!

Stace xx

Real Techniques: Expert Face brush vs Buffing brush

When Sam Chapman of Pixiwoo fame joined forces with Real Techniques to create a brush line, it instantly took the beauty world by storm. They're good quality, accessible, cruelty free and most importantly, affordable. During the past couple of years I've tried out the majority of brushes from the line and until very recently was of the opinion that the Buffing brush was my absolute favourite. Then I discovered the Expert Face brush and the battle for my brush-loving heart was well and truly on.

Real Techniques brush comparison

The Buffing brush has a lot going for it. It has a nice lightweight handle and soft bristles which are fairly densely packed. The top of the brush is slightly domed. I use this for blending in concealer on large areas, foundation and cream blushes. When applying foundation it can be used in a stippling fashion to get a bit more coverage or in a buffing motion to blend the foundation seamlessly into the skin. The main downside to the Buffing brush is that it's only available in the Core Collection of brushes which costs £21.99. I wasn't a huge fan of the other three brushes in the set. Had I found a use for the other three brushes, this would be a great value set but unfortunately that wasn't the case.

The Expert Face brush has a more ergonomic shaped handle, which I like. Initially I thought it looked a little small but I haven't found that to be an issue. The brush head is smaller and the bristles are more densely packed. I use this brush slightly differently to the Buffing brush; I tend to almost 'paint' my foundation on and then buff it in rather than using a stippling motion.I find that I get more coverage from my foundations when using this brush. I use the Expert Face brush exclusively for foundation but I suppose it could be used for cream blush, contour and highlight products too. It's certainly a good size to deal with the more precise placement of contour and highlight. Aside from being a brilliant brush, the Expert Face brush is also available on its own, priced at £9.99.

The Winner?

I think it's quite clear that for me the Expert Face brush wins in terms of performance and value. That doesn't mean I'll be dismissing my Buffing brush, however. I will continue to use this for foundation and I do prefer it for concealer under my eyes as it's softer on the delicate skin. I'll also continue using it for cream blushes. If it was possible to buy both brushes separately, I'd still want to own both.

Just a heads up; Love Make Up is running a limited offer for a free Expert Face brush if you pick up the Sam's Picks kit. 

Are you a fan of Real Techniques brushes? What's your favourite brush for foundation?

Stace xx

MAC Creme in Your Coffee Lipstick

The Lipstick

MAC Creme in Your Coffee is described as a 'creamy mid-tone pink brown' with a cremesheen finish. The shade is a tiny bit more brown than pink in my opinion which puts it firmly in the 'nude' category for me. It's darker than most of my other nudes and is a bit more cool-toned than my preferred peachy or tan nudes. It's a refreshing change, though and I think it will work well with a variety of eye and cheek colours. It reminds me a little bit of MAC Viva Glam V but without the shimmer.

The pigmentation is great and the product applies fairly easily. It's one of those lipsticks you don't (really) need a mirror to apply. I usually like cremesheen finishes but my main gripe with them has always been that they can be a bit too creamy; lipstick ending up half way down your chin is not a good look. Creme in Your Coffee is different, it seems. The texture is a little less creamy so more difficult to over-do. It wears much longer too; I get about 3-4 hours of wear which is pretty good for me as I'm constantly talking...

The packaging is the standard MAC lipstick bullet and the scent is the delicious (but somewhat sickening, I suppose) vanilla cake batter scent that we all associate with a MAC lipstick. 

Who will like it?

Creme in Your Coffee is such a neutral shade; it pulls more pink on cooler skintones and more nude-brown on warmer skintones. For that reason I'd say it would suit anyone in the light to medium spectrum. On medium skintones it will be one of those 'my lips but better' type shades whereas on lighter skinned ladies it will look like a nice darker nude. It's a safe bet for anyone who's concerned about nude lipsticks giving them the dead-concealer-lips effect.

As this has a glossy finish, matte-lovers won't be a fan. On the plus side, if you have quite thin lips, this lipstick will make them look a little fuller. 

Anyone who's willing to spend £15 on a MAC lipstick. I just had to mention this; I remember when MAC lipsticks were around £11.50! Whilst I don't think the price is completely outrageous, it does make me a bit more cautious about which lipsticks I purchase from MAC. The drugstore has really upped its game in recent years so there is likely to be a cheaper alternative of this lipstick out there if you're willing to look around. 

Do you have a favourite MAC lipstick?

Stace xx

PS - if you wanted to see the lipstick on my face, see below! Excuse the eye bags.

NOTD: Rimmel Rhythm & Blues with H&M Did I Tell You?

I stumbled upon this combination completely by accident a few weeks ago; I'd given myself a manicure with Rhythm & Blues and a different blue as an accent nail. I like how Did I Tell You? looked over the blue. I decided to try it over Rhythm & Blues and it was love! It was one of those manicures you find yourself looking at all the time. This time around I skipped the blue accent nail - it was a bit much.

The Colour

Rhythm & Blues is a gorgeous inky navy shade. The formula on this one is absolutely brilliant; it's almost opaque in one coat and it manages to wear reasonably well too. I'm a big fan of the Rimmel Salon Pro polishes in general; particularly the super on-trend shades in the Kate Moss collection. I've tried six or seven now and the formula has been great across a variety of shades. The brush is very wide and flat which is the type of brush I prefer.

The Glitter

Did I Tell You? is a blue glitter in a clear base. The glitter is made up of larger and smaller sized glitters. I've only ever needed to use one coat to get an even distribution on the nails. It looks a bit tacky in the bottle but over the right shade, it looks great. I can't remember exactly how much this cost; I think it was around £3. Overall I'm impressed by this offering from H&M.  

In the photos I'm wearing two coats of Rimmel Rhythm & Blues, one coat of Did I Tell You? and a coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat.

What's on your nails right now? Any polishes worth raving about? 

Stace xx