Wednesday Wishlist: Make Up Academy

MUA is one of the best high street brands, in my opinion. They never cease to amaze me with exciting new products at really reasonable prices. Whilst I do enjoy using products from brands like Revlon and L'Oreal, if I'm after a cheap fix MUA is always at the top of my list. I sometimes buy their products in Superdrug but often the stands are messy and poorly stocked so I prefer using their lovely website. I always get my parcels quickly and they offer free shipping if you spend over £25. You can get a lot of MUA products for £25.

I thought I'd share the products I'm tempted by in this week's wish list!

Mega Volume Mascara - £3

I think I'm most attracted to this mascara because the packaging is similar to Maybelline's One by One mascara which I quite enjoyed! The brush has rubber bristles like my favourites; BeneFit's They're Real  and L'Oreal's Volume Million Lashes. This comes in brown, black and waterproof. I think I'd go for the waterproof version.

Blush Perfection Cream Blusher - £2

I have my eye on the shades Yummy (bottom right) and Dolly (top right). I like experimenting with cream blushes every now and then. At £2 a pop I don't think you can go wrong. The other shades are Bittersweet (bottom right) and Blossom (top left). 

Nail Constellation in Libra - £3

I remember when Fleur De Force posted a video about a similar product from Ciate priced at £18 and thinking that was a ridiculous price. £3.00 is much more reasonable. If you've not heard of these manicure products before they're basically little beads that are applied to a just polished nail to give an interesting 3D effect. From MUA's range I'd go for the shade Libra because it's the most neutral looking colour. I wish they'd release with a black or dark blue.

Nail Varnish in Red Fever - £1

This is probably a predictable choice from me; I do love dark red shades! I've never tried any of MUA's £1 nail polishes so I'm interested to see how they compare to my more expensive favourites. 

Pearl Eyeshadow in Shade 11 - £1

I've been meaning to pick up this shade for years! It's a dark, slightly golden taupe-brown shade which I think would look perfect in the crease for definition or all over the lid with darker shades. liner and lots of mascara for a pretty smoky eye. 

Have any MUA products caught your eye recently?

Stace xx

September Empties

Another month, another empties post. This month I got through quite a few products without really trying; I was surprised to see that my 'empties' bag was bursting!

I ran out of three face products this month; my primer, foundation and powder. The MUA primer was nice but the packaging was frustrating because I always ended up squeezing out too much product so I'm not sure if it's something I'd repurchase. It's good if you're on a budget, though. My beloved Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua  foundation finally ran out this month but I've moved on to the YSL Touche Eclat foundation; espect to see a review of that one soon. I will probably repurchase Vitalumiere Aqua at some point in the future. The powder I finished up was the Clarins Ever Matte. I liked it but I do think it's a bit overpriced. My Chanel Rouge Noir nail polish finally became too gloopy to use. I've been looking for a similar shade but can't find one that seems just right so if you have any recommendations please leave them in the comments. 

I used up a second pot of the Lierac Smoothing Energizing moisturiser, a small bottle of Osmo's Beber Oil treatment and a Fresh Brown Sugar fragrance sample. I enjoyed using all three of these products but I don't expect to repurchase any of them just now.

This Johnson's 24 Hour Moisture Hand Cream is a great budget buy; I used to use this all the time and it's something I always seem to go back to. The Botanics All Bright Cleansing Face Wipes were just okay and not something I'm particularly keen to use again. I got through two pots of Lush Fresh Face Masks and enjoyed using both but much preferred BB Seaweed over Brazened Honey. 

This Boots Nail Polish Remover is another go-to budget buy for me. I've tried more expensive removers but none work as well as this one for me. I reviewed the Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Body Lotion yesterday and if you read that post you'd know that I have mixed feelings about the product. I don't think I'll be repurchasing. I would, however, consider picking up another tube of the Jergens Cocoa Butter Body Lotion; partly because it smelled delicious and partly because it felt really nice on my skin.

I wasn't overly impressed with the scent of Soap & Glory's Foam Call Shower Gel when I first smelled it but it seems to smell a lot nicer in the shower. I like that it comes with a pump because I tend to be too generous with shower gel. I'm not sure if I'd buy it again immediately but it is a nice product. I used up two shampoos this month; the L'Oreal Ever Strong Reinforcing Shampoo and the John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo. I realise that it seems as though I've used a lot of shampoo this month but the L'Oreal only had a little left in it at the beginning of September and I gave some of the John Frieda to a friend to try. I have reviews of both these shampoos coming up soon. 

I've had this can of Boots Firm Hold Hairspray sitting around for quite a while but I've been wearing my hair up a lot more recently and was reaching for it to tame flyaways. I don't think it's a particularly good hairspray but it did the job for me. The Tresemme Volumising Dry Shampoo is one of my all-time favourite hair products and one I posted about recently. I've already purchased another can! LUSH Rub Rub Rub is another product I reviewed positively recently. I still can't believe how much I loved the scent and it was a really effective exfoliator. I was given Prada Candy last Christmas and whilst I liked it initially I did get a bit bored of it so I'm quite pleased to have finished it up. There's just something about it that isn't right. I wish I could explain it!

So, those are my September empties. Did you use up many products this month?

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!

MUA Primer

I mentioned recently that there were two products from MUA that I've been enjoying and this is the second of the two. Say hello to MUA's primer!

I wanted to pick this up when it first launched quite a while ago but I couldn't find it anywhere and at that time MUA did not have their own online store. The two primers I've been using most in that time were the Rimmel Fix & Perfect and the Make Up For Ever HD (which I just finished up yesterday) and this little £4 wonder really holds its own in that company. 

There are two types of primers I like to use; ones that fill in pores and leave my skin feeling smoother or ones that help my foundation go on more easily last comfortably. The MUA primer does a little bit of both. It doesn't fill in pores to the extent of something like BeneFit's PoreFessional but it does make my skin feel smooth. It helps my foundation go on more easily and keeps it there a little longer because it hydrates dry areas and controls oil in the oily areas. I make it sound like a bit of a wonder product! I wouldn't say it's the best thing since sliced bread but I do think it's a nice primer that does a bit of everything. I think it would work best for normal/combination skin types.

The packaging is simple and functional to a point. The little nozzle that controls the amount of product that's dispensed keeps coming loose which is frustrating as I end up with too much product. The primer itself is a lightweight white gel-cream. I apply it with my Real Techniques Buffing brush (which I also use for my foundation) and away I go.

The MUA Primer is available online (link) and in selected Superdrug stores. It is priced at £4.00 for 27ml.

Have you tried this? Let me know what you thought!

Stace xx

MUA Out There Plumping Lip Gloss in Buff

I picked this up from MUA online about a month ago and aside from one other product which I'll blog about very soon, this has been my favourite product. It's the Out There Plumping lip gloss in the shade Buff and it's a snip at only £2. This has very quickly become my most reached for gloss.

As you can see from the swatch, it's a very pigmented gloss. The shade is a versatile dark nude with a cream finish. I like wearing this alone or on top of MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2. Gaga 2 is a very brown toned nude which is difficult to work with sometimes but it looks great when paired with this gloss! It's easy to apply with its doe foot applicator. It does tingle a little since it's a plumping gloss but it's not painful like some other plumping glosses; as a result the plumping effect isn't all that extreme.

I'd recommend this shade in particular to everyone but this product also comes in a range of other shades. I've tried a couple of the bright pink ones and they're also incredibly pigmented so I think there's something for everyone. They're available online (link) or in selected Superdrug stores.

Stace xx

This Week's Make Up Bag

I got out of the habit of posting my weekly make up bags a while back. It was because I'd sort of given up having a make up bag. I need to start some serious exam revision this week so I'm going back to having a little stash of make up to choose from in the mornings rather than several boxes full. I'm trying out some new things and trying to use some old favourites. I've stuck to warmer shades this week.

MUA BB Cream (Medium) & Primer - I'm so impressed with both these products so far. I need to test them out a little longer before posting reviews but hopefully my opinion won't change!

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Soft Beige - my current concealer of choice, I reviewed it recently if you fancy scrolling down.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere sample - I just want to use this up, really.

NARS Taj Mahal - I love this blush but I don't use it often because it takes a bit of effort to make sure I don't end up looking like a clown. I will try to do a Face of the Day post when wearing this because I had someone ask me to recently.

MAC Soft & Gentle MSF - I've been neglecting this recently so I've dug it out again. It makes a really pretty eyeshadow too.

MAC Peaches - One of my all time favourite blushes!

Clarins Ever Matte Face Powder - This has replaced my MSF Natural as my every day powder. It's much lighter but still offers a little coverage. I'm quite heavy handed with it but it never looks cakey and it does control oil pretty well.

Urban Decay Naked Palette - Do I need to explain this one? This is another product I've been neglecting a lot so I'm hoping to get back into using it more often. 

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liner in Black Ink - I've had this for a really long time and it's still as creamy as when I first bought it. I do want to use it up soon-ish, though.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance - This is another product I've had for such a long time. It's running out right now so hopefully in a few weeks I'll be able to try a new eyeshadow primer. This is my favourite right now but I've not tried the NARS base, yet!

Clinique High Impact Mascara - I got this little sample in a gift with purchase and since I'm on a bit of a mascara rampage right now, I thought it wouldn't do any harm to try another. I've bought this in full size a few times in the past but I've not used it in about two years.

MAC Teddy Eye Kohl - Okay, so I only own this because my cat is called Teddy and I can't resist anything with his name...but I do like the colour. I don't find the staying power to be too great, though.

Smashbox Brow Tech in Soft Brown/Taupe - I used this for my brows all the time until last summer when I stopped for some reason. It's a really nice brow product for natural, groomed looking brows.

MUA Love Hearts Lip Balm in Great Lips - This is another new product to me. It's a nude shade and smells delicious.

MUA Lipstick in Shade 16 Nectar - I can't wait to try this out - the orange/peach shade is right up my street.

17 Mirror Shine in Beehive - This is one of my most loved lipsticks; it's subtle and glossy.

Jack Black Lip Balm - This didn't live up to the hype for me at all. It's just okay so I'm working on using it up.

Clinique Super Balm in Rootbeer - This is on it's last legs right now so I'm hoping to finish it up this week.

Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector in 02 - I always seem to have this in my make up bag, it's one of my favourite make up products, ever.

Stace xx

FOTD: Easy Five Minute Make Up

I've been pretty lazy for the past week or so since I finished all my uni assignments and that laziness seems to have extended to make up. I don't know why since you'd think having more free time would mean I'd spend longer painting my face in the morning. I guess I'll get back into the swing of things as I start working on revision for my exams!

Here are some (pretty bad!) photos of the make up I wore on Friday. Please excuse my hair - the lazy theme extended to that also!

I started with a little bit of Clarins Beauty Flash Balm because my skin was looking a bit rubbish. On top of that I applied some NARS Sheer Glow foundation in the shade Santa Fe with my fingers. I used Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer in Medium 3 under my eyes and on the scars on my chin. I then applied my NARS blush in Luster (which I've hit pan on! It's definitely love) with an angled blush brush.

I used a little bit of my Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink in Taupe along with MUA Clear mascara in my brows. After applying Too Faced Shadow Insurance on my lids, I used MAC Woodwinked all over my lid. I applied it with a flat eyeshadow brush and blended out the edges with a fluffy brush; ideally I'd have added a highlight on the brow bone but I didn't have one to hand. I love Woodwinked as an all over lid shade! I used the Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara sample from my most recent Glossybox. I should have a review of that up soon but if you want the short version; I like it. 

I'd already used my LUSH Pow Wow lip scrub and MAC Lip Conditioner so I just added a bit of my Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti. It's such a pretty orange-coral shade. I'd recommend picking it up if you can find it! 

What are your go-to products for lazy make up days?

Stace xx

What's in my travel make up bag?

I'm going back home to Northern Ireland for a week today. I thought I'd share with you the make up I'm bringing with me. It's going to be a pretty relaxed affair (I hope...) so I've tried to only bring what I know I'll use. You'll recognise a lot of these products from recent reviews and favourites posts, I'm sure!

Brushes

Sephora Bent Eyeliner Brush

E.L.F. Crease Brush

Crown Brush Blending Brush

Revlon Eyeshadow Brush

Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush

Illamasqua Highlighter Brush

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

Blush

NYX Tea Rose Cream Blush

NARS Orgasm

Face

Rimmel Match Perfection Fix & Perfect Pro

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Foundation 

Bobbi Brown Corrector

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

Eyes

Cosmetics A La Carte Brow Ink in Taupe

MUA Clear Mascara (for brow gel)

Urban Decay Naked Palette

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

17 Wild Metallics Cream Shadow in Wild Nude

Milani Liquif'Eye Eyeliners in Black and Brown

Physicians Formula Glam Eyes Cream Liner Trio for Brown Eyes

BeneFit They're Real Mascara

Lips

Lush Pow Wow Lip Scrub

Vintage Sister Chocolate Orange Lip Balm

L'Oreal HiP Jelly Balm in Ripe

Clinique Superbalm in Rootbeer

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks in Black Cherry and Mink

NARS Lipstick in Honolulu Honey

Do you think this is excessive? What make up do you take with you when you travel?

Stace xx

My Top Five: Eye Products Under £10

Sleek Palettes

£6.49 from Superdrug or Sleekmakeup.com

I've had lots of these in the past but the ones I've held on to are the Original, Storm and Sunset palettes; all of which are permanent. These eyeshadows are great quality. I'm not a fan of their matte shadows but I'm not a fan of matte shadows in general anyway. Each palette contains 12 shadows. They tend to come out with a lot of limited edition palettes but there is something for everyone in the permanent range, too.

MUA Pro Palettes

£4 from Superdrug

I have this in Heaven & Earth - it's a great neutral palette. The shadows are creamy and well pigmented. There are 12 shadows in each palette and I believe there are five palettes available.

GOSH Long Lasting Eye Liner Pens

£5.99 from Superdrug

I'm not the best at applying liquid liner but I really like this one. It comes in lots of different shades. The best thing about this liner is its staying power - I swatched these on my hand when I first got them and they stayed on through me washing the dishes and having a shower!

17 Wild Metallics Cream Eyeshadows

£3.99 from Boots

These are really nice cream shadows. They're available in six shades at the moment but hopefully 17 will come out with more! The shade I have is called Wild Nude and it's a great neutral shade for a quick eye look. Definitely worth checking out!

E.L.F. Eye Lid Primer

£1.50 from E.L.F.

This is a really decent eye primer. I've repurchased this a couple of times. It's very similar to Urban Decay's Primer Potion. It's a great product to try if you're not sure about spending lots of money on an eye primer.




Do you have any favourite eye products from the high street/drugstore? Let me know!


Stace xx

Super Quick & Easy FOTD

I've been pretty lazy with my make up recently. I've found a few products which I really love recently and I've used quite a few of them in this look. It's very quick and easy and it should go with most outfits.

Spot the horrible chicken pox scar! :(

This is the less-happy version of the first photo...

Products used:

Rimmel Match Perfection Fix & Perfect primer

MUFE HD foundation in 125

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer

NARS Orgasm blush

BeneFit Watt's Up highlighter

Too Faced Shadow Insurance eye primer

MUA Clear brow gel

Urban Decay Naked palette shadows - Hustle and Toasted

BeneFit They're Real mascara

Vintage Sister Mint Chocolate lip balm

Revlon Super Lustrous lip gloss in Nude Lustre

Do you have any go to products or make up looks right now?

Stace xx