NOTD: Collection Hot Looks in 62 Dusk

Hello!

Once again, it's been a while! I've been pretty busy so sadly my wee blog has been neglected. In fact, so has a lot of my beauty regime and my skin is really starting to notice so I'm on a mission to get back on track. Any suggestions of great skincare ranges will be much appreciated! I'm thinking of giving Elemis a go if any of you have any thoughts on that brand.

Despite my low-key approach to skincare and make up, I've been maintaining some sort of effort with my nails (chipped nail polish will always drive me nuts!) I've been experimenting with lots of different drugstore brands and so far have found some absolute gems. First up is this Collection Hot Looks polish in the shade Dusk. 

It's a very dark green with a crème finish; not especially fitting for the season really! I bought it because under the lights in Boots it looked like a bottle green but in any sort of normal lighting it's more like an evergreen shade. I was slightly disappointed about that but it's a nice dark shade nonetheless. It's a bit different from black, dark reds and dark purples. 

The application of this polish was fairly easy. The brush isn't the widest in the world and the straight edge makes it a bit trickier around the cuticle area. The small cap was also a tiny bit fiddly so I did have a bit of cleaning up to do afterwards with this one. I only needed two coats for an opaque finish; I could have almost got away with just one if I'd taken my time! In my opinion, that's pretty good for a dark shade like this. The finish is a tiny bit matte which I don't particularly like. Nothing a slick of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat can't fix, though. 

One of the best things about this polish is the price. It costs a mere £1.99! If another shade catches my eye I'll definitely be picking it up. It contains 8ml which is slightly smaller than the average drugstore nail polish (and just over half the size of an OPI polish) but who ever uses an entire bottle of nail polish before it becomes too gloopy to use? 

Have you tried any polishes from Collection's Hot Looks range? Let me know in the comments!

Stace xx

December/January Empties

I've not posted an empties post in a long time - mostly because it's taken me this long to gather up enough empties to post about. Do any of you remember the months where my empties posts would have squillions of products in them?! My beauty routine has definitely been simplified recently (read: I've been lazy) so it's taking me much longer to use anything up.

Boots Expert Dry Shampoo

When my favourite Tresemme dry shampoo isn't on offer, I usually buy this one instead. It's almost as good and about a third of the price. 

Boots Essentials Nail Polish Remover

My all time favourite polish remover! I've not been able to repurchase this yet so I'm trying another one and it just doesn't compare. 

Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Lotion

This was nice but not nice enough for me to rush out and repurchase it. I'm in need of a new night time moisturiser though so if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments!

The Body Shop Spiced Vanilla Body Butter

I realise this was from last year's Christmas collection but I promise I only opened it in September! As with all Body Shop body butters it's nice and moisturising. I wasn't a huge fan of the scent though.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium 3

Does this product even require an explanation? It's one of my most used and repurchased beauty products by far. If you've not tried it, you should. I'm already well on my way to using up another tube.

L'Oreal True Match Foundation in Golden Beige

I must admit, when I picked this up back in August, I wasn't expecting a great deal. I've been pleasantly surprised; this is an excellent every day foundation. I'll be posting a full review soon...and buying a new bottle!

BeneFit They're Real 

This is the first of three mascaras I've used up recently and it's the only one I've rushed out to buy again. It's hands down my favourite mascara.

L'Oreal Volume Million Waterproof

I enjoyed using this mascara and it's the only one that's come close to being as good as They're Real. It's much easier to remove though, despite being waterproof! 

LUSH Eyes Right*

Formula-wise this mascara is nice. It looks really natural which is great for everyday use. I definitely won't be repurchasing it - the packaging is terrible.

Have you posted an empties post recently? Leave me a link!

Stace xx

What's in my make up bag? [Using my Naked palette]

Everytime I look through my eye make up I spot my Urban Decay Naked palette and quietly scold myself for not using it more. I'm determined to make good use of it over the next couple of weeks!

I'm mixing up the base products I'm using (with the exception of concealers) to incorporate my new bottle of NARS Sheer Glow. I don't normally use a setting powder with this foundation but if I need one I've included LUSH's Emotional Brilliance loose powder. If I want to use a primer I have a little Murad primer sample to use up. For concealer, I'm sticking with my trusty duo of Collection Lasting Perfection and Rimmel Wake Me Up. I've also thrown in a BeneFit Sunbeam highlighter sample which I used for the first time today; I like it!

For blush I'm giving myself a bright shimmery coral option with S.O.P.H.I.E. from Illamasqua and a natural satin option in NARS Madly. Madly is definitely my most used blush and has been for about six months now whereas S.O.P.H.I.E. is brand new and crying out to be used for the first time. Both shades should work fairly well with the Naked palette's shadows. 

For eyes I have, of course, my Naked palette; I plan on wearing at least one eyeshadow every day! I'm going to use NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base underneath the shadows and LUSH's Eyes Right mascara. I've added a couple of Milani Liquf'Eye liners in black and brown in case I fancy using one. For my brows I have Smashbox Brow Tech but I realised this morning that I've lost (for the second time!) the brush I love to use with this so I may have to switch it out and use my Lancome brow pencil instead.

For lips I have two neutral shades; 17's Mirror Shine lipstick in Beehive and Rimmel by Kate Moss in 19. Beehive is lighter and glossier whereas 19 is a rosier shade with great staying power. If I want to wear a bolder colour it's going to be either Rimmel by Kate Moss Matte in 107 which is a medium berry shade or a warm toned pink in the form of Illamasqua's medium pencil in Titivate.

What's in your make up bag this week?

Stace xx

November Beauty Haul

I've not posted a haul for quite a while but that doesn't mean I haven't been shopping. I've been totally out of the beauty blogging loop so I've not been overly inspired to buy lots of new make up; if you've tried anything new you think is worth checking out, let me know in the comments!

Lip products were my thing this month; it seems. I picked up one of the recently repackaged 17 Mirror Shine lipsticks in Beehive. I've owned this before and used it up completely because it's such an easy lipstick to wear. I like the look of the new black packaging compared with the old shiny blue tubes but it's a faff to use! It's rectangular and there's a little mirror which slides out; basically it's annoyingly difficult to close. 

I finally purchased a couple of Rimmel's Kate Moss lipsticks and I have to say I'm incredibly impressed. I have the matte lipstick in 107 and the original formula in 19. I've worn 19 a lot already because it's a great every day colour. Both shades/formulas have great staying power and feel very comfortable on the lips. I may need to pick up a few more of these!

The fourth lip product in my haul is the YSL Glossy Stain in #22. This was a bit of an impulse buy but I've been on the hunt for a dark, glossy lip colour for a wee while now and this seemed to fit the bill. I wore it today and it is a bit difficult to work with but it looks amazing. Finally I picked up a medium pencil from Illamasqua in the shade Titivate because the counter assistant was wearing it and it looked awesome on her! I've not worn this one yet so can't share my thoughts on it.

I had a £10 off voucher for LookFantastic so snapped up a bottle of OPI Live and Let Die from their Skyfall collection. It's a gorgeous dark green with gold shimmer running through it. I was really impressed with the formula of this polish too; it was almost a one-coat wonder! Earlier in the month I bought this metallic Bourjois polish in the shade 20. I love the brushes on these polishes but I'm not totally sold on this shade in particular; it's almost like a metallic version of a nude.  

I replaced a couple of my favourite base products this month; Collection's Lasting Perfection concealer in Medium 3 and NARS Sheer Glow foundation in Punjab. I use the concealer almost every time I wear make up and the foundation is my favourite for winter because it offers a bit more coverage. I've not had a bottle of Sheer Glow since spring time so I'm excited to use this again. I picked up the Illamasqua blush in S.O.P.H.I.E because I've had it on my wish list for a while. It's a bright slightly shimmery coral. I've been good and not bought a blush in a long time so I thought it was about time I tried something new. 

What did you buy this month? If you've posted a haul, leave me a link!

Stace xx

Berry Lips

Berry-toned lip products have been catching my eye in recent months. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a big fan of the red lip but I've found berry shades much easier to wear during the day as well as in the evenings. I'm now of the opinion that there's a perfect berry lip out there for everyone and with that in mind I wanted to share my small, but growing, collection with you.

L-R: MAC Pro Longwear in Red Dwarf (LE), Illamasqua Magnetism, MAC Spice It Up!, Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Crush, Rimmel Kate Moss Matte in 107

The first berry lipstick I tried was released in MAC's Daphne Guinness collection last year. It's a Pro Longwear lipstick in the shade Red Dwarf. I like this one because it's quite a light, warm toned berry shade. I prefer a matte finish when it comes to bold lip colours so Red Dwarf ticks that box as well. Sadly, it's no longer available to buy but if you like the look of it there are similar shades out there; I think it's universally flattering.

Next up is the much hyped Magnetism from Illamasqua. This was released in their Generation Q collection and it was one of those products I just had to have. It's a dark raspberry colour with a satin finish and can be worn lightly as a stain or built up for a more intense look. Unlike other Illamasqua lipsticks this one feels very comfortable on the lips. I really need to wear this one more because it's a beautiful lipstick. 

MAC Spice It Up! is a lustre finish lipstick from their core collection. I stumbled across it when I was looking for a dupe of my beloved (and not available in the UK) Revlon Fig Jam lip butter. Some might consider this shade more of a red than a berry but I see it as a nice compromise between the two. Formula-wise it's sheer and slightly glossy so it's a nice option if you're in a rush or not sure about wearing a more intense colour. I do find it to be a tad drying but I can live with it because I like the lipstick.

L-R: MAC Pro Longwear in Red Dwarf (LE), Illamasqua Magnetism, MAC Spice It Up!, Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Crush, Rimmel Kate Moss Matte in 107

Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush has very quickly become one of my most worn lip products and I'd recommend that everyone give it a go! I like these balm stains in general but this shade is a great berry pink. The finish is slightly glossy and the staying power is excellent. 

The newest addition to my berry collection is a Rimmel by Kate Moss Matte lipstick in the shade 107. It looks a lot brighter on the lips than it does in the bullet but I love the matte finish. I've worn this a couple of times now and the staying power has been great. At only £5.49, this is the cheapest option on my list but it compares well with the pricier alternatives so it's worth a try if you're not sure you'll suit these sorts of shades.

One of the few glosses I own is Wild About Beauty's Nutrilips Gloss in Astrid. Admittedly, this was a total impulse purchase but I was so drawn to the colour that I had to have it. I've not had the chance to use this a lot yet because I find glosses in general a bit difficult and messy to wear, especially when they're as pigmented at this one but I do like the lightweight, non-drying formula. This product is very similar in colour to MAC's Red Dwarf. 

Are you a fan of berry lips? What are your favourite shades?

Stace xx

What's in my make up bag? [10-Minute Face Edition]

Hello!

I've not posted a 'what's in my make up bag?' post for a while; partly because I've not posted anything for a while and partly because I've not been organised enough to have a make up bag. I've just been reaching for the same few products over and over again but this week I've decided to give myself a few more options in the mornings. 

Lip products are one of my biggest weaknesses; I have lots of beautiful shades but find myself sticking to the same safe neutrals on a daily basis. With that in mind I've given myself three different colours this week. A bright berry pink in the form of Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush, a glossy orange YSL Glossy Stain in #6 and a neutral pink Rimmel by Kate Moss lipstick in 19. The two stains are firm favourites of mine; they're both easy to apply quickly and last amazingly well throughout the day. The Rimmel lipstick is quite new but I've been enjoying using it over the past little while so it's my neutral of choice this week; expect to see a blog post on a couple of the Kate Moss lipsticks very soon. I've also put an EOS lip balm in Tangerine in there.

I like to keep eye make up to a minimum when I'm in a rush; I can easily spend twenty minutes messing around with several different shades and liners if I have the time. I'm going to try using YSL Shocking mascara this week and I'm a tiny bit worried about it smudging, if I'm honest. If I do fancy wearing a lid colour I'll use my NARS Smudgeproof Shadow Base underneath either LUSH's Sophisticated cream eye shadow or MAC's Pro Longwear shadow in Sweet Satisfaction. I have the Lancome Le Crayon Sourcils in 030 Brun and a brow gel (not included in the photo because it looks disgusting!) for my brows. 

The most important part of my make up routine involves these four products. I've been skipping a primer recently but I've yet to use my repurchased Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro primer so I've added it to my make up bag this week. My foundation of choice is the L'Oreal True Match (I wish I could tell you which shade I have but I can't find it on the packaging anywhere). It's so quick and easy to apply; I use my fingers. For concealer I have the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in Medium 3 for any blemishes or discolouration and Rimmel's Wake Me Up concealer for underneath my eyes. Drugstore base products are definitely growing on me, it seems!

I won three powder products in a Famous giveaway hosted by Cherry a while back and whilst I've used the No Shine Face Powder in The One and Only regularly, I've only used the Shining Star Shimmer Brick in Rihanna Shimmer and the First Date Blush in Scarlett a couple of times. The shimmer brick doubles as an eyeshadow palette and the blush is a gorgeous dark rose shade. I've thrown in a Dior blush in Peachy Keen because it's one of my favourite winter blushes. 

So, there you have it.

What's in your make up bag right now? If you've posted something similar, leave me a link in the comments.

Stace xx

August Empties

It's empties time again! I didn't get through a lot of products this month but I did use up more make up items than in previous months.

Garnier Body Tonic Sugar Scrub

I mention this body scrub far too much on this blog but it really is my favourite! I've already bought another tube of it.

Sanctuary Mum To Be Shower Oil

I got this as an extra in a swap once and thought it was a bit strange to be sent something meant for pregnant women but I decided to use it up anyway. It's just okay.

The Body Shop Green Apple Shower Gel

I love the scent of this product; it really does smell of apples. It's not the most moisturising shower gel out there but I still like it.

Osmo Berber Oil Rejuvenating Shampoo

I enjoyed using this shampoo. I recently reviewed a trio of products from this line (here) including this shampoo. 

Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser

This moisturiser is great if you have blemish prone skin. I apply a thick layer of it before bed when I feel my skin needs it. It also works well under foundation so I sometimes use it in the mornings too. I've already picked up a couple of new tubes of this.

Revlon Lip Butter in Fig Jam

This is/was my favourite lip butter shade. It's a dark brown/plum shade that is a lot more flattering than it sounds! I actually tracked down a MAC lipstick to dupe this because Fig Jam is sadly not available in the UK. 

Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Sample

I mixed this with my Chanel Perfection Lumiere foundation sample to help with staying power/oil control and loved the combination but I won't be heading out to pick up the full size of this.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss in Electric Cherry

These glosses smell delicious and I love the non-sticky formula. This particular shade looks a bit weird on me (according to my boyfriend anyway!) and it was limited edition, I believe, so I'll not be repurchasing it. I am interested in trying other shades from the Pure Color gloss range, though.

Maybelline One by One Mascara

I liked this mascara and reviewed it (here) but I don't think I'll be repurchasing it for a while because there are so many other mascaras I still want to try.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Sample

I used this up by mixing it with the Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid and loved the results but on it's own I wouldn't recommend this foundation. 

Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Sample

I really liked the effect of this mascara but it was so dry and quite difficult to use so I'm not sure if I'd purchase the full size. Besides, I've not managed to find a UK seller which stocks this.

MAC 188 Brush

I want to cry about this one! This isn't an empty as such but I managed to break/ruin my MAC 188 brush. I was washing it and pulled a little too hard on the bristles so the whole brush head popped out. I've had this brush for well over a year and it was my favourite highlighting brush. Let this be a lesson to you all...be nice to your brushes. 

Sally Hansen Insta Dri Top Coat

I've already repurchased this. It's frustrating when I have to get rid of these when they're still half full but they just become too gloopy to use.

Did you use up many products this month?

Stace xx

FOTN: A Friendly Birthday Tea

We went out for tea a few days ago for a friend's birthday and I managed to snap a few photos of my make up before we left so I thought I'd share! I used a couple of products that I've not used in a while 

Reckon I look a bit cross-eyed in this one?!

I used a little Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach under my eyes and blended it in with my fingers. I then dotted some Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in Medium 3 on any blemishes (I have a few right now, grr!) or redness and buffed it in with my Real Techniques Buffing brush. I applied a layer of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40 and buffed it in with the same brush. I put a little Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer under my eyes and used my fingers again to blend that in. I set everything with my Clarins Ever Matte powder in Translucent/Medium on an ELF Studio Powder brush before adding a tiny bit of NARS Laguna bronzer (I'm still learning to use this!) with a MAC 168. I used the same brush to apply MAC Warm Soul mineralize blush to the applies of my cheeks and used an Illamasqua Highlighter brush to add some of theBalm's Mary Lou-Manizer to the high points of my face.

On my eyes I used some NARS Smudgeproof Eye Shadow Base before filling in my brows with my Smashbox Brow Tech. I've lost my favourite brow brush so had to use a random small brush that I had. I then ran a little MUA Clear mascara through my brows. I applied Urban Decay's Half Baked eyeshadow on my lids and used more of the Mary Lou-Manizer on my brow bone and inner corner. I added some Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel eyeliner in Black Ink with a bent eyeliner brush (I love this sort of brush for applying liner) along my upper lash line and on the outer corner of my water line. I curled my lashes and my mascara of choice was the L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Waterproof. I applied two coats. 

I exfoliated my lips with Pow Wow lip scrub from LUSH and applied a little Nivea Milk & Honey lip balm before starting the rest of my make up. The lipstick I wore was MAC Freckletone. 

That's it! That sounds like a lot of products, doesn't it?!

Stace xx

July Haul

I didn't think I bought too many products this month but I guess I was wrong!

I needed a new shampoo so picked up the L'Oreal Ever Strong Reinforcing Vitality shampoo; it's from their new sulphate free range. Having tried (and enjoyed) another (much more expensive) sulphate free shampoo, I've been keen to try another one. The E45 lotion was a necessity because the skin on my back and shoulders has been feeling so irritated recently. It's a decent moisturiser in general and something that's handy to have on hand when scented lotions are too irritating.

I popped into The Body Shop because it's my birthday month so I had a £5 reward plus a £5 reward on my reward card. I needed to replace my African Spa Hand & Foot Butter so I used my £10 of rewards on that.  From the sale I picked up a Raspberry body butter, a Green Apple shower gel and a Passion Fruit cleansing gel. I stupidly thought the Passion Fruit cleansing gel was a body wash, though. I added a Born Lippy balm in Pinkberry at the till and I've been enjoying this lip balm so much. It smells like a strawberry Opal Fruit.

I picked up the famous Rub Rub Rub body scrub from LUSH and have been loving it so far. The scent is really unexpected; because it's blue I was expecting it to smell fresh but it's actually a lot more floral.

I did a little blog sale shopping this month. From a US blog sale I bought a mini Make
Up For Ever Smokey Lash mascara but unfortunately it's very dry looking so I don't think it's usable. I bought two more Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch and Cherry Me. Despite the naff packaging, these are great little tinted balms. I also picked up a Hard Candy 'bronzer' (what?!) in Tiki. It's a lovely highlight powder.

I accidentally bought another highlight powder from Lou's blog sale; this time it was Topshop's Sunbeam. This one is very pigmented and golden. I also bought a mini Burberry lip cover in Rosewood because I didn't get it in my Harrod's Glossybox and felt I was missing out! It's very cute.

I clearly had a thing for honey scented lip balms this month given that I purchased both the Nivea Milk and Honey balm and the Burt's Bees Honey balm. I have to say, I prefer the Nivea one. I picked up a couple of the new-ish Revlon Kissable Balm Stains in Crush and Rendevous. I wanted to try a waterproof mascara so picked up the L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Waterproof in Black; I've been enjoying using it so far. I had to replenish my stock of Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in Medium, too.

I attended a make up lesson at Urban Decay that I'd won and the make up artist used this concealer on me. I really liked the coverage and texture of it so I picked up the Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer in AFI. Expect to see a review on this sometime soon. The final product in this haul wasn't purchased by me. A lady I babysit for gave me this because she didn't think the colour would suit her. I've been hankering after a NARS Larger Than Life lip gloss for a while so it was a nice surprise. This is in the shade Place Vendome. 

Swatches

Hard Candy Tiki, Topshop Sunbeam, Urban Decay AFI, Collection Medium

Maybelline Cherry Me, Maybelline Pink Punch, Revlon Rendevous, Revlon Crush, Burberry Rosewood, NARS Place Vendome

If you'd like to see reviews of any of these products, please let me know!

Stace xx

FOTD: Smoky Coral

I bought the L'Oreal Color Infallible shadow in Magnetic Coral a few months ago and whilst it looks okay when worn alone, it looked a little 'off' or something. Today I decided to pair it with MAC Twinks and I really liked the slightly smoky effect so I thought I'd post a quick Face of the Day!

On my skin I applied some of the MUA Primer with a Real Techniques Buffing brush and then put a tiny bit of Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach under my eyes. I buffed some Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in Medium over any blemishes with the same Real Techniques brush. The foundation I used is a sample of the new Urban Decay Naked foundation in the shade 7.0. I also buffed this in with the Real Techniques Buffing brush. Watch out for a review on the foundation in the next couple of weeks!  I used a little Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer in Soft Beige under my eyes; I blended that in with an Illamasqua Blending 2 brush. For blush I used MAC Warm Soul on a MAC 168 brush. 

I used my NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow base all over my lid before filling in my brows with Smashbox Brow Tech in Taupe/Soft Brown with an angled brush and combing through them with MUA clear mascara. I applied MAC Twinks in the outer V/crease of my eye with a fluffy brush before applying some of the L'Oreal Color Infallible shadow in Magnetic Coral with my finger. I used a tiny bit of TheBalm's Mary Lou-Manizer as a browbone and inner corner highlight and ran some Twinks under my lower lashes with an ELF Crease brush. I added a tiny bit of Milani Liquif'Eye pencil liner in brown before applying two coats of the waterproof L'Oreal Volume Million mascara in black to my curled lashes. 

On my lips I just applied some Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 02 Apricot Shimmer. Phew...this FOTD included a lot more products than I thought!

Stace xx

Current High Street/Drugstore Favourites

I had quite a few requests recently to do more posts about drugstore or high street make up so I thought it was about time I did a drugstore favourites post. Regular readers will know that I try to keep my stash under control so I don't have a favourite drugstore item from each category; like foundation, for example. I also don't consider a product a 'favourite' unless I use regularly so there are only ten items in this post. Of course I do enjoy other products from the high street but these are my top picks right now.

MUA Primer 

This is a great basic primer; it makes foundation application much smoother. It's not particularly heavy duty in terms of controlling oil and prolonging wear but it's a nice product and I've been using this every day recently. 

Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer

I bought this on a whim alongside the foundation and to be honest, I wasn't expecting much. However, I was pleasantly surprised and I've been using this almost daily under my eyes. It's a lot lighter than the other concealer I use so it's nicer for the under eye area.

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer

What beauty blogger worth their salt doesn't have this in their stash? I know it can be a little drying and the shade range is somewhat limited but this stuff is great on blemishes and discolouration. This is my third tube and it's on its way out - I have another waiting in the wings, of course!

MUA Clear mascara

I'm embarrassed to even show you this but I use it as a brow gel; either by itself or over the Smashbox Brow Tech. It's only £1 and again, it's something I use every day.

L'Oreal Color Infallible shadow in Sahara Treasure

I reveiwed this a couple of days ago. It's a great neutral shimmery shade that's easy to work with. It's one of the few high street eyeshadows that has managed to impress me.

MUA Out There Plumping lip glosses

I have this in the shade Buff which is a nice neutral colour. I've also tried a couple of brighter shades which were really pigmented. It does make my lips tingle a bit but it's not painful (for me, at least). 

Revlon Super Lustrous lip glosses

The shade pictured is Nude Lustre which is my most used Super Lustrous gloss but I find the formula to be pretty consistent across the board with these and would recommend most shades. They're not sticky at all and I like the packaging.

Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks

This is one of my favourite drugstore lipstick formulas. In fact, if you discount the two I'm about to talk about, it's my favourite 'traditional' lipstick formula from the drugstore. They're pigmented and quite long-lasting without being drying.

Revlon lip butters

I had to include these. I'm almost out of my favourite shade, Fig Jam (sadly a US exclusive!) which is saying something. These are sheer but buildable and feel very comfortable on the lips. The one down side is that they're not particularly hydrating so don't really live up to the 'lip butter' claim in my opinion.  The shade pictured is Tutti Frutti. 

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipsticks

These are similar to the Revlon lip butters in that they're sheer lipsticks but they feel a lot lighter on the lips. I find them to be a touch drying but they do smell nice. I have a couple of these and find myself reaching for them quite often.  

What are your favourite drugstore/high street products?

Stace xx

My Current Make Up Routine

I've been using almost exactly the same products every time I wear make up at the moment so I thought I'd share! I've not been feeling too adventurous, as you will see. 

Face

BeneFit POREFessional Primer 

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Peach

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium 3 

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B40 

Clarins Ever Matte Powder in Medium Transparent 

NARS Orgasm Blush

TheBalm Mary Lou-Manizer

Eyes

Smashbox Brow Tech in Taupe/Soft Brown

MUA Clear Mascara

NARS Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base

L'Oreal Color Infallible Eyeshadow in Sahara Treasure

Maybelline One by One Mascara in Black

It takes less than ten minutes and lasts pretty well throughout the day. In the photos I'm wearing the Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Evasion. Once we've graduated and got settled into our new flat I'm going to have to make an effort to mix up my make up a bit!

If anyone has any tips on taking photos of their own face, please let me know. I was great at it when I was 16 but for some reason I'm terrible at it now!

Stace xx

PS - I have a blog sale going on if you're interested, almost everything is half price or less and the shipping is a flat rate so you can buy as much as you like without having to pay more for shipping!