American Apparel Neon Nails

 AA Nail Polish £9 each

I wouldn't say i'm much of a nail enthusiast, I don't really get excited by nail polish or painting my nails. I always see it as a chore, and much prefer someone else to do them for me. I'm very good at perfecting the 5-year-old-girl-paints-her-nails look. I'm not one for fancy nail art, or anything spectacular either. I find it fiddly, and have no patience for something so delicate and time consuming. Having said this, I have been a huge fan of "stand-out nail colours" recently. Something that contrasts with the rest of my outfit and is effortless. Neon colours have been a go-to for me this summer. I love the neon trend, but don't feel comfortable enough to rock out some neon trousers or bright neon dresses, so i've injected a teeny bit of neon to my hands instead. I love the AA nail polishes as the quality is really good. They are definitely on the pricey side, but they have such an amazing collection of colours, the packaging is unique and they stay put for a good amount of time with no chipping. I also bought a glitter polish as I just couldn't pass it up. Look at the amount of pretty! The glitter instantly makes the nails a whole lot more interesting without spending ages fiddling about with nail art or glue. The middle nail was 2 coats of glitter, I feel like it spreads out well on the nail too (something I thought it wouldn't do). 

Have you used any of the American Apparel nail polishes? Would you happily spend £9 on a nail polish if you felt it was pretty enough? or am I a bit crazy? 

The colours above are Neon Green, Neon Yellow and the glitter is called Galaxy Glitter. 

♥

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Topshop Makeup | Lipstick Crayons/Pencils

                  Top to bottom: Powder Room, Clueless, Hedonist

Topshop Lipstick Crayons £7*

Next up in the Topshop Makeup "series", is the Lipstick Crayons/Pencils or however else you'd like to name them. I don't see these talked about as much as the actual lipsticks, and I guess that could be because lipsticks are more likely to be favoured over them. Unlike the lipsticks in the Topshop makeup range, these offer a matte finish. I enjoy applying these, as the longer, slimmer packaging allows you to get more precision, almost like you are colouring in your lips with a chubby pencil. They are long lasting and have great pigmentation. If you prefer to wear matte colours on your lips as opposed to something a little more moisturising or frosty, these will be perfect for you. I don't often opt for a matte lip as I much prefer something a little more moisturising on my lips as they are quite dry but sometimes matte lips can look much more effective, and tend to last a lot longer. Although they are matte, they are still very creamy and go on like a dream. Let's also not forget the cute packaging! I absolutely love Topshop packaging, and these are so nifty just to throw in your handbag/clutch and be on your way. 

The only thing about these that I don't like, is that you have to sharpen them in order to get more product once it's worn down. Although i'm sure it's not a major fault for most of you, it's just one less thing you really want to do when you could just grab a lipstick and twist it up, no hassle. It certainly won't stop me using them, as I love to pop a little bit of lipgloss on top to give them a much shinier finish, and be on my way. I'm a particular fan of the orange one (Hedonist) but then does that really surprise you? ;)

Do you own any of these? What do you think of lip crayons in general?

♥

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Stila Convertible Colour | Lillium and Gladiola

Stila Convertible Colour "Lillium" (pink) and "Gladiola" (orange) £16

After using and loving the Topshop Blushes, I wanted to dip my finger a little further into the world of cream blush. When buying my beloved Stila Palette earlier this month, I also picked up these convertible colours from the Stila stand in Boots. I'd heard some great things about these on various other blogs but had never really had access to a Stila to see them up close before now. In a nutshell, they are GORGEOUS and now I want more.

I picked up Lillium which is a pretty muted pink and Gladiola which is a vibrant orange. These can be used on both the cheeks and as lipsticks and I have used them both ways. As a blush, they are beautiful. They blend well, they are easy to apply, they don't leave you looking patchy after an hour and they are just really pretty colours. I also love that they give a lot more of a sheen than the Topshop blushes, as these don't dry to a matte powder, which gives a much more dewy, healthy look. Perfect for the summer! They don't come off too pigmented with a light application, but can easily be built up for more impact (if that's the look you are going for). They are marketed as a sheer, translucent colour, so don't let the bright colour in the compact put you off. I apply these as a blush with my fingers mostly, or I have found a stippling brush to be quite effective also. As a lipstick, I wasn't bowled over. They apply quite sheer over the pigment of my lips, and sat in any dry areas, leaving me looking slightly messy. Some areas seemed to be more opaque than others. Having said this, they are such lovely colours, I just think they work better on the cheeks than on the lips. If you have perfectly hydrated lips, these will probably look great on you, as they feel more of a balm than a lipstick when applying and leave a pretty glaze.

Another thing I love about these, is the packaging. I am quite the sucker for a pretty compact, and this IS a pretty compact. Easy to sling in your makeup bag and a mirror for on the go. I think i'm going to reach for these a lot during the sunnier months as they instantly make you appear glowy, healthy and more radiant than a powder would. They'd look so pretty on those of you who prefer a much more natural look too. I can imagine on days where you just throw on some tinted moisturiser, and apply a few coats of mascara, these would also be the perfect makeup item. Just pop a few dabs on your cheeks and on your lips and you're good to go.

Do you own any Stila Covertible Colours? Is there anything else from the Stila makeup range you think i'd love as much as these and the palette?

♥

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Stila "In The Light" Neutral Eyeshadow Palette

On one of my many recent trips to Boots with Louise (I think we spend far too much of our lives in there), we were walking out after making our purchases at the till and we passed a Stila stand. I've never seen a Stila stand in Boots before, so obviously we had to stop and have a look. The first thing we noticed was this beautiful palette. Never one to pull off bright colours on my eyes, I am very much a neutral eyeshadows girl, so this was right up my street. We swatched a few of the colours and instantly knew we NEEDED to have this. It cost £25, and luckily, I had saved around £27 worth of Boots points (got to love Boots for their points system), so I was able to essentially get this for nothing, just using the points on my card. Bargainous!

The first thing I absolutely loved about this palette, was the colour range. I actually don't own any of the Urban Decay Naked palettes because there weren't enough matte shades for my liking, and not all the colours floated my boat. This one however, has 4 matte shades and the shimmer shades are colours i'd wear a lot. The second thing I loved, which is an important factor, is the consistency of the shadows.  The shimmer shades are so creamy and easy to blend and the matte colours are velvety and soft. Both are also extremely highly pigmented. The other thing which swayed me to purchase, was the fact that it came with a Stila Smudgestick. These liners are absolutely amazing. They apply so easily, have super pigmentation, and within seconds of you smudging it out or leaving it how you'd like it, it stays puts until you wash it off. The shade is "Damsel" and is a deep matte brown (my favourite colour for eyeliner). 

You can create so many looks with this palette, I feel like it ticks all the boxes for me. There is a gorgeous inner corner colour (Kitten - A Stila staple I believe), various other gorgeous shades to apply to the lid, and a matte brown and black for smoking it out lightly, or more dramatically for night time. The only colour I feel I won't get too much use out of is "Night Sky" which is the shimmer grey/blue. Blue toned greys don't look good on my eyes (I think it might be because I have blue eyes or possibly just doesn't bode well with my skin tone, I don't know). I think it's such good value for money, £25 for 10 good sized eyeshadows of great quality and an eyeliner, which on it's own is priced at £14 anyway! I absolutely love it, and I've been using it every day. 

You can buy this Stila palette in Boots (if your local one is lucky enough to have a stand), or there are many sites that sell it online (ASOS, FeelUnique, LookFantastic).

Do you own this palette? If not, YOU NEED IT!

♥

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Review | Liz Earle Makeup Range

As many of you may know already, I am a huge fan of Liz Earle. Their hot cloth cleanser is the one skincare product I am always repurchasing, I think i've got through around 8 bottles of the stuff! You can read my review of the Liz Earle skincare HERE but for now, i'm going to talk about a new addition to Liz Earle, a makeup line!

It was only right that after launching their sheer skin tint, they would then follow with even more makeup!  I was super excited to see the collection as I knew that in true Liz style, it would be exceptionally good quality and I was not disappointed.

I'm going to try and sum up my thoughts on the makeup items that I've tried as best I can without boring you or making you want to gauge out your eyeballs (how pleasant). 

Natural Finish Loose Powder   

£19.50*

I am super fussy when it comes to powder. I don't like my skin to look matte, and so I like something to have reflective light properties or that gives a healthy glow. Although this powder didn't give me as much of a glow as i'd have liked (let's face it,  if I want a glow I can use a highlighter) I really love this powder. I actually find that it works really well with the sheer skin tint as that can be very dewy (I'm talking top of the dewy scale here). There is a whopping 12g of product in this plastic jar, so this is sure to last you a long time and in terms of pricing, works out cheaper than my beloved Bare Escentuals. This powder contains vitamin e, borage and avacado oils, so benefits the skin as well as just sitting pretty on it. I've not worn this powder alone, so I can't comment too much on overall coverage, but as far as setting other foundations goes, this works a treat. 

Natural Glow Bronzer

£19.50*

Now, the first thing you will notice, as far as bronzers go, is that this is quite a pricey one! However, the quality of this bronzer is perfect. It has a soft consistency, is easy to blend and leaves a very natural bronzed colour on the face. The powder itself is not overly pigmented, but this is why I like it. They have designed this specifically for a natural look. If you are someone who is a little scared of going OTT on the bronzed front, this will be perfect for you. It comes in one shade so far, so this may not be ideal for you darker skinned ladies but being a pale missy myself, I love it and have been reaching for it quite a lot recently. 

Healthy Glow Powder Blush 

£16.50*

Again, this is quite high up on the pricing scale, although nowhere near the price tag of my beloved Nars blushers (£21 *gulp*). This blush is also very smooth and soft and easy to blend and work with, and again, offers a natural flushed finish. The blush is available in 7 shades, the one I have is Rose 04. Although this isn't hugely pigmented, it gives such a pretty colour, and just like they marketed, very natural. 

Precision Brush

£13*

This was probably the one thing I was least excited about. I own a lot of precision brushes (mostly targeted for use with concealer) but they say that this brush is multi purpose. It can be used for face, lips, eyes and brows. It has a great thin, and rounded tip which would make use for all the above things very easy. They currently have 3 brushes, the one that most appeals to me is the powder brush, which looks really nice. They are all made with 100% man made fibers and all have a clear acrylic handle, which I really liked. It's stylish and different from any other brushes i've seen. 

Sheer Lip Gloss

£13.50*

This is the only product where I feel the price isn't quite justified. I'm not the biggest fan of lipgloss, but I do know that some of my favourite glosses, cost me in the region of £7 from the High Street. Had this been more around the £10 mark, I think I would have been slightly more inclined to purchase one myself. The glosses are quite sheer in order to give a very natural finish on the lips, which I know for a lot of people, is something they would choose over something with far more pigmentation. One thing I do like about this gloss, is that it doesn't feel too sticky on the lips. They also include avacado oils and shea butter to nourish the lips, which is a nice added bous. The colour I received is Quince 09, which although looks quite orangey (a colour you know I love) is more of a neutral dark toffee red once on the lips. 

Swatches

Overall, I was really impressed with the quality of the Liz Earle makeup line. I don't think their target market is young teenage girls however, and I can imagine that it will more suited to the more mature women after a very subtle, natural and youthful look. I personally loved the blush, bronzer and loose powder and would recommend them to anyone after something a little more natural. I like the packaging, it's not edgy or overly exciting, but it works and it represents the brand well. I also love that the compacts have mirrors, very handy for on the go touch ups.  I think I would have liked the lipgloss a little more if it was in a more neutral shade and a little less pricey. I do really want to try out a few more shades of the blush though, or even purchase a cream blush as they too look really interesting.

Have you tried anything from the Liz Earle makeup line? Anything that stands out to you?

♥

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Topshop Makeup | Blush

Topshop Blush £6 

Next in the Topshop Makeup Series, I want to go over the blushers. These are not my favourite thing in the Topshop makeup range, although I know plenty of people who would say they were. I just want to start with the packaging, I absolutely love it, like all other Topshop makeup items, it has the adorable black sketching, in this case, polka dots. The only thing I will say, is that after a while, the white background becomes a little more cream, and then there's no going back to that lovely white crisp casing, dangnabbit. 

The consistency of these is what makes them a little different from anything else I own, and certainly anything else I have seen on the High Street. They apply as a cream blush, but dry with a more powdery finish. I actually find powder blush easier to apply, as you just apply it with a brush, however, I do like to use these for a much more subtle finish. I think because it applies as a cream and dries to a powder, it gives a much more natural flush than a powder would. I also don't find it that difficult to apply. I just use my fingers, and dot it on my cheekbones or the apples of my cheeks (depending on which mood i'm in) and then blend it out as much as desired. The colours can look a little scary in the pan, but they are very easy to blend, and you can also build up the colour if you want something a little more opaque. They also have quite good lasting power, I wouldn't say it's amazing, but for £6 you can't really expect miracles (plus, you don't want to look like Aunt Sally for over 24 hours).

The colours I own are Head Over Heels (pictured on the left in all photos) and Flush (pictured on the right). Head over heels is my favourite (as you can see it has been used a fair bit...and looks pretty grubby). It's a gorgeous coral pink and I find that this suits my skin tone a little more than Flush, which is a lot more pink. 

What do you think of Topshop blush? Do you own any?

♥

Favourite Eyeshadows | Nars Isolde Duo

Nars Eyeshadow Duo Isolde - £24 

This post won't come as a shock to most of you, considering how often I bang on about how much I adore this eyeshadow duo. I was gifted this for Christmas a while back from none other than my brother (after i'd picked it mind you) and it has become my absolute go-to for an everyday eye. I reach for this above any other eyeshadows (and I own a sickening amount of eyeshadows - including two Mac palettes). Nars is definitely my favourite brand when it comes to eyeshadows and blushers. The consistency of the powders are phenomenal. The pigmentation and longevity surpass any other eyeshadows i've tried. A bit higher on the scale brand and price-wise, but totally worth it. I have used this duo almost daily for over a year, and it looks as though i've barely touched the surface. The reason for this is that because the pigmentation is so good, and the powder so finely milled, I barely have to push my brush into the product before applying the shadow. The fact that they're so finely milled, means they also blend like a dream. 

This duo has two very orange based bronze/gold shades. Now, normally, you wouldn't really think to go near a bonze, or a gold with an undertone of orange, but actually orange is the most flattering colour for blue eyes. I really notice a huge difference in my appearance once I have these shadows on, my eyes appear a lot bluer in colour and I just find it effortlessly more dramatic makeup-wise. I like to wear both shadows either together, or the darker colour all over the lid with a matte brown in the crease and under the bottom lash line for a more smokey effect. I get a lot of people asking me which eyeshadows i'm wearing in my videos, and 8 times out of 10, it will be this duo. I'm one of these people that can't really wear cool toned colours on my eyes, greys appear blue and drain any colour from my face. So over the years i've learnt to stick to mainly warm toned shadows, and this duo is almost smoking on the warm-toned scale. 

I would whole-heartedly recommend Nars eyeshadows, both individual and in duo form. I believe buying  them as a duo is better value for money and I do intend on extending my collection (over a large period of time obviously haha). Absolutely love them!

Do you own any Nars eyeshadows? Love them as much as I do?

♥

Topshop Makeup | Nail Polish

Left to Right:
Crystal Clouds, Green Room, Sketch, Louder*, Dead Ringer*, Awol*, Parma Violet

Hidden Treasure & Gypsy Night

Polishes from the "Sandstorm" Collection last year.
L-R: Cylone & The last two were a duo called "Wilderness"*

New Glitter polishes! 
L-R: Ice Crush*, Adrenalin*, Razzmatazz*

L-R:

Adrenalin, Ice Crush, Razzmatazz, Sketch, Wilderness Duo, Parma Violet, Crystal Clouds, Cyclone, Awol, Green Room, Louder, Dead Ringer, Wilderness Duo, Hidden Treasure, Gypsy Night

Following on from my post about the Topshop Lipsticks, I thought i'd write about the nail polishes. I own a fair few, as you can see. I am a huge fan of these little beauties. I do remember when they first came on the scene, I wasn't massively impressed with the size or shape of the bottle, I just didn't think they looked very pretty and were quite small, but now I absolutely love them. They could be deemed slightly smaller than the average nail polish, but actually, I think they are just right. I own so many larger nail polishes (like O.P.I & China Glaze) and I never come anywhere close to using the whole bottle up before it goes thick & gloopy. 

The quality is really good, I have yet to use any shade which hasn't delivered a nice opacity, or painted on appallingly. I also think there is a fantastic range of colours. Whenever I see the makeup stand in Topshop, and all the pretty colours lined up so beautifully, I always feel as though I need to own more of them, so I can stand them in my bedroom looking equally as pretty. 

The standard range of basic colours are priced at £5 (your reds, blues, pinks, pastels & brights) & the more exciting/special polishes (The multi-tonal, glitter & crackle) are priced at £6. There are a few on the website at the moment which are part of the "Sisters of the New Moon" collection and they are priced at £6.50. I think the pricing is very fair. I'm quite happy to pay this nice mid-way price for a decent nail polish, compared with higher, more well-known brands at a much higher cost. I don't particularly look for a nail polish with the highest of quality, I'm definitely more of a "if I like the colour, i'm buying it regardless of the price" person. So if it's a gorgeous colour, i'll buy it if it's 50p or £10. I do know that some of you will be reading this who DO look for decent quality in a nail polish, possibly if your job involves you looking immaculate, and chipped nails are a nono? I can honestly say, I've NEVER come across a nail polish that doesn't chip on real nails. I'm an acrylics girl, so my nails aren't real most of the time, therefore polish is usually on there until I decide to change it. However, anytime I haven't had acrylics, and I've worn the Topshop nail polishes on my real nails, they've lasted just like any other polish. I'd say 5-6 days totally chip free (with a top coat). Even the more expensive polishes chip on me in this same amount of time (I don't think my natural nails take well to polish haha)

My current favourites are Green Room, Ice Crush, Hidden Treasure, and the metallic silver one from the Wilderness duo (annoyingly, they don't have separate names that I can see, and they aren't on the website anymore, but they do have a metallic silver which could very well be exactly the same)

Have you tried the Topshop nail polishes? Can you think of any colours that I'd love and don't already own? (not that I need anymore clearly)

♥