Makeup
MAC Instigator Review
21 March 2017
MAC has so many different lipstick options it is exhausting. Every time I go in there for a lipstick, I end up spending a ridiculous amount of time. So I spent a good amount of time at the MAC counter swatching different lipsticks before I asked one of the makeup artists to point me to the lipstick that looks most like my all-time favourite lip pencil, Nightmoth; I was handed Instigator.
Instigator fits MAC’s description of it being a 'deep blackened plum'. It is a such gorgeous purple shade. This lipstick meets up to the standard of MAC's lipstick with its high quality. This is a matte lipstick and if you own any matte lipsticks from MAC, then you know that their mattes are truly matte, however, Instigator has a bit of a sheen to it. I don't mind this as it makes for very easy application and the lipstick feels comfortable on the lips. It is such a creamy long-lasting lipstick and is not overly drying. Although it is a matte lipstick, it does not pull on the lips or apply on patchy. The pigmentation of this lipstick is extremely impressive. I have a few MAC lipsticks but this one went over and beyond my expectation in terms of pigmentation. In a single application, you have an extremely opaque coverage. I cannot speak enough about its amazing colour payoff. I would say this lipstick is not for the faint at heart. It gives an edgy look which I love.
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| L to R: Nightmoth, Instigator |
As you can see, Nightmoth lip pencil is a little darker than and not as purple as Instigator but it is quite close.
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| I am wearing MAC Lipstick in Instigator alone |
What are your favourite MAC lipsticks?
Building A Makeup Collection on a Budget | Part 1
14 February 2017
This post has been in the works for some time now but last week, I was talking to a friend who is getting into makeup and trying to build herself a collection; she mentioned how expensive makeup is. So I decided to gather my thought together and finally complete this post. If you are building yourself a collection or just interested in saving money on makeup, then I hope you find this useful.
Look out for sales
I absolutely love a good sale, Superdrug seem to always be on one sale or the other. They sometimes have a 3 for 2 sale or buy 2 of a brand for a certain price. For instance, I was able to get a Sleek Cream Contour Kit and Sleek Eyeshadow palette on a deal for £10 instead of the full price of £20. Boots is also good for discounts. Debenhams also goes on sale every now and then, I have been able to get 10% off MAC items, which was great. The easiest way to save money, is to shop when there is a sale.Join the Newsletter
If you are on the mailing list of a company, they can email you about product releases, free delivery offers and new deals. I get emails from MAC advising me of their new product launches, free delivery offers and every now and then, a deal to save money. Most recently, they had a lipstick and lip pencil deal where you get a MAC Lipstick and Lip Pencil for £24 as opposed to £28.50.Loyalty and Discount Cards
Debenhams, Boots, House of Fraser and Superdrug have discount cards that you collect points on and either use to purchase or part purchase beauty products. In Debenhams, you get points every time the card is scanned and when you get up to 500 points, you get £5 off any beauty product. My Debenhams Beauty Card now has £5 on it so I can get £5 off my next purchase in MAC, Urban Decay, Makeup Forever etc. Boots gives you points but you can only spend what you have on your card, you can’t use it to get a discount but as a payment card.Clearance Items
Boots and Superdrug often have items on clearance. My sister pointed out to me that our local Boots had NYX items on clearance, I was able to get a Lip Lingerie for £3.25 as opposed to £6.50, the NYX lip cream I got was £3 and not £5.50. You can also get damaged products at a reduced price. I got an MUA eyeshadow (rrp £4) for 90p because an eyeshadow was broken. So far, I have not missed that eyeshadow.
Check out the High Street
High Street brands are really stepping up their game. You'd be surprised the great items you can find if you only take the time to look. You can build your collection majorly on drug store makeup. You can even get some great dupes for high end makeup. Brands like Makeup Revolution are seriously coming for high end brands. I think Makeup Revolution is going to dupe all the popular high end items, they have dupes for the Urban Decay Naked palettes, MAC Mineralise skin finish and so on.
Shop Around
I always shop around for clothes, food, shoes; why not makeup as well. In my shopping around, I found that Debenhams beauty card has a much better deal than House of Fraser. In Debenhams, I only have to spend £170 on beauty items to get £5on my Beauty Card but I have to spend £500 in House of Fraser to get £5 on the card. Best believe Debenhams has my patronage. In the same vain, I noticed that Superdrug sells the Real Techniques brushes about £1 less than Boots, it’s not a lot but every little helps.
What are some of your favourite tips to save money on makeup?
10 Beauty Favourites Under £10
7 February 2017
Revlon Colorstay Foundation
This is the best foundation I have tried from the drugstore. Boots and Superdrug sell this foundation but don’t sell the darkest shades which is absolutely annoying (rant for another day). I purchase this foundation from eBay and always get it for between £5 and £7. The Revlon Colorstay foundation reminds me of my MAC Studio Fix Fluid. It has a matte finish with an amazing buildable coverage. It is very long lasting and never looks cakey on. This foundation performs as well as my High End ones for a fraction of the price.LA Girl Pro Concealer
If you have been around for some time, then you have probably heard about this concealer. The LA Girl Pro Concealers are just amazing. It cover blemishes perfectly without caking into the pores. This concealer is very creamy and works well to hide problem areas. I have to say the best thing about this concealer is the amazing shade range at its price.The Ordinary High Adherence Primer
When Gossmakeupartist rates a product, I have no choice but to believe him. When he did a video about a £3.90 primer for oily skin, I decided I had to have it. This primer is changing my oily skin life. Although it is a silicone primer, it has a creamy texture as opposed to this siliconey feel (for lack of a better word) that silicone primers usually have.This primer blurs pores out of sight and creates a beautiful canvas for foundation to go over.W7 Banana Dreams Powder
This loose powder was featured in my January favourites. It is a finely milled powder which controls oil without giving a cakey appearance. This banana powder does not leave a chalky appearance on the skin. It works perfectly for setting under eye concealer without creasing or looking ashy.Makeup Revolution Rock on World Baked Bronzer
If you read my Low End Highlighters post, then you would have seen me mention this amazing bronzer. This baked bronzer is the perfect highlighter for my mocha skin. Rock on World is so pigmented, I can't even explain. It looks great on and is extremely long wearing. The golden tone gives such a great sunkissed glow.Kiko Precision Eye Liner
I am not big on winged liner because I have the most unsteady hands. But the KIko eye liner is amazing for when I want to channel my inner Amy Winehouse. The liner has the ability to draw a black precise line without smudging and it has amazing staying power. This highly pigmented eyeliner dries quickly to a lovely matte black.Sleek Blush Sahara
I cannot rave about this blush enough. It is a matte orangey brown shade. Sleek Sahara is the perfect blush for me, it warms up my face and add the perfect natural flush of colour to my cheeks. It just seems to go with every look. I also love using Sahara as a crease colour. I don't think you can go wrong with this £5 blush.Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
No matter how many foundation brushes I fall in love with, I always come back to loving Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. This brush is a dream come true.NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams
My post cannot be complete without mentioning a great lip product. These are a must have for lipstick lovers out there. They have a unique texture. It is extremely soft, glides on smoothly and easy to apply but they dry matte. My favourite shades are London, Monte Carlo and Havana.Maybelline Color Tattoo
Color Tattoo is a highly pigmented cream eyeshadow. They have amazing power and do not crease. They are creamy making it easy to apply them. They are very versatile and can be used as either base, eyeshadow or eyeliner. I use the Color Tattoos as a base for my eyeshadows and they increase the colour payoff of eyeshadows. My favourite is shade Crème Rose. It works as a perfect base for any eyeshadow shade.
What are your favourite beauty products for under £10?
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
24 January 2017
For the longest time, all I knew about Estee Lauder was their skin care range which my mum used religiously. I couldn’t believe they stocked makeup. I was even more surprised to find that they catered for darker shades.
Over a year ago, after reading and watching a good number of reviews about this foundation, I decided to take the plunge and purchase the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation. At the Boots counter, I was recommended this foundation in the shade Truffle, this shade was not perfect for me and I had to resort to mixing the foundation with a different one. I have absolutely no problem with mixing my foundations to create the perfect shade. The problem for me is that when I spend £31 on a bottle of foundation, I honestly don't want to have to mix it to make it work. It is safe to say I was not impressed with this foundation the first time around. But I believe in second chances so I decided to give the Estee Lauder Double a second chance. I went into the store to get matched for the second time around and this time, I got matched with the shade Deep Amber 7N1. I can say that Deep Amber is the one, it has a beautiful neutral undertone which I almost never find in foundations that cater for the darker woman.
Estee Lauder Double Wear comes in a beautiful see through glass bottle with a gold screw cap. The bottle has quite the luxurious feel to it. It does not come with a pump which can be very annoying because sometimes I overestimate the product I need and end up having to waste some. The upside is that the MAC pump fits the Double Wear bottle perfectly so I just use that.
I am always on the lookout for a long lasting foundation with a flawless finish that of course, matches my skin tone. I can say that I have found all of this in the Estee Lauder Double wear. It is marketed as a medium coverage foundation but I think it is more full coverage. This foundation is lightweight but is quite pigmented and has an opaque coverage. It is very buildable and a little does go a long way. Although this is a medium to full coverage foundation, the consistency is neither too thick nor too runny.
It has a beautiful finish. As a girl with oily skin, I am very impressed with how matte this oil free foundation is. It is also neither drying nor does it settle in the pores. This foundation dries matte and it is water resistant. It also endures heat. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it is sweat resistant, but it does well with higher temperature. Estee Lauder claims that this foundation is transfer resistant, I can’t really comment on this as I always set my foundation with powder that usually transfers.
Even with my oily skin, I did not experience any break outs with this foundation. This foundation has an amazing lasting power. It has stood the test of time. I have worn it for over 10 hours and it still looks great. The Double Wear foundation blends very easily, it spreads evenly on the skin to create the flawless base I am always looking to get with my foundation.
They have an amazing shade range which each come in Neutral and Warm undertones. One thing that sold me on this foundation is the fact that it comes with a neutral undertone for my dark shade. I find that most foundations for women of colour, tend to be too warm. Another beautiful thing I noticed about this foundation is that unlike most of my other foundations, it does not oxidise. The foundation does not change colour as the day goes by, so what I see at 9am is what I get at 5pm.
I love the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation so much, it has knocked off all my other bottles of foundation and has won a spot in my list of holy grail foundations.
I wouldn't recommend this foundation to someone with dry skin because it is oil free and dries matte but if you are like me and you have oily, acne prone skin then this is a perfect foundation for you. Also the SPF in the foundation may not go well with flash photography. I never take photos with flash so I am unable to comment on that fact. You are also able to get a sample that last 10 days so you can try out the foundation and see if you want to commit to a full sized bottle.
What is your holy grail foundation?
My Favourite Low End Highlighters
2 November 2016
I have to apologise, big time! I have not updated my blog for such a long time and I promise I have a good reason. So basically, I am the most disorganised person ever and the biggest procrastinator yet.
Ok ok that's not exactly the reason but it kind of is. I was offered new job in Manchester over a month ago. YAAAAAYYYYY!!!!! It is such amazing news, I am super pumped. I spent most of my days looking for available properties within my budget and in a decent distance to work. I spent my nights thanking God for my new job and praying that I don't move to the crime central of Manchester. And my weekends were filled with me jumping on trains, viewing properties, walking around Manchester in awe and decluttering my apartment. After all the disappointing house viewings and stress of moving to the new city, I am ectastic to be in Manchester and I'm loving the j-o-b.
So into the blog post I go, I am a big big fan of highlighting. I absolutely love a healthy glow. My makeup look is not complete without my cheek bones, brow bone, bridge of nose, cupid's bow and chin glowing. I appreciate a good highlighter more during the Autumn and Winter months, there's just a way the colder temperature makes my makeup super matte and almost a little dull. I have decided to share with you my favourite low-end highlighters.
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| Left to Right: Technic Get Gorgeous Bronzing Highlighter, Kiko Water Eyeshadow 208 |
Kiko Water Eyeshadow 208
Safe to say that this eyeshadow is a cult favourite. It has been termed as the dupe for the MAC Whisper of Guilt. I was not lucky enough to get my paws on the MAC Limited Edition Extra Dimension. I have to say this is an amazing highlight, funny enough, I have never used it as an eyeshadow. This eyeshadow is such a stunning light gold colour. I am sure it would be absolutely beautiful on the eyelids. Basically, you are getting an eyeshadow and a highlighter for the lovely price of £8.80. If you are like me and you always walk into Kiko when there is a sale (they are always on one sale or the other), you could get this eyeshadow for half the price.Technic Get Gorgeous Bronzing Highlighter
This is the cheapest highlighter I own and that has not reduced the quality of this highlighter. The only thing that points to cheap with this highlighter is the flimsy packaging which I forgive. I mean it is a £2 highlighter. This gold toned highlighter is very easy to apply and has a beautiful pigmentation, so a little goes a long way. It has a beautiful texture and is easy to blend. It comes off on the skin as a beautiful gold shimmer. |
| Left to Right: Makeup Revolution Rock on World, Makeup Revolution Ready To Go |
Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Bronzer Rock On World
This is a staple highlighter for me and a major fave. It is actually a baked bronzer but on my NW50 skin tone, it is a perfect highlighter. Rock On World is a dark copper with metallic sheen. The pigmentation on this baked bronzer is super intense. It is also long wearing. The best of everything is that it only comes to £4. If you are lucky enough to waltz into Superdrug on one of their 3 products for the price of 2, you could get this baked bronzer for free.
Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Bronzer Ready To Go
When I saw this Baked Bronzer, I was surprised because I can't see it as a bronzer on any skin tone. I was sure it would make a nice highlighter on me and I am not disappointed. The pigmentation, as is the case with the other Makeup Revolution items I own, is everything. It has a beautiful shimmer. It blends very easily so you don't need to panic if you are little heavy handed. Due to the pigmentation of this Baked Bronzer, you can use this to create a full on look or you can use it the way I usually do, for a subtle natural glow. |
| Top to Bottom: Sleek Solstice Palette, NYX Liquid Illuminator |
NYX Liquid Illuminator Pure Gold
This is a liquid highlighter which is very different from my regular powder highlighters. This liquid gold is amazing under foundation for an effortless all over sun kissed glow.This highlighter is not only perfect on the face but also to create a glow on your decolletage. Next time you are wearing an off shoulder outfit, rub some of the NYX on your skin and see how many compliments you'll get. It applies and blends very easily
Sleek Highlighting Palette Solstice
This palette comes with four unique highlighters for the amazing price of £9.99. The highlighters are very pigmented with great longevity. I won't go into detail, you can read my full review here.What are some of your favourite low end highlighters?
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