The Lazy Products - Eyes

Lets get one thing straight, I'm a sucker for anything that makes life easier, and when it's in the make up department - even better! 2013 was most definitely the year of the chubby stick and paint pot and I really enjoyed trying out various new 'quick and simple' eye products.  I currently have 3 easy bronze products firmly in my make up drawers for when I have very limited time to get ready (who am I kidding, I reach for them even if I have bags of time).

They are as follows:

Collection 'work the colour' Eyeshadow Pencil in Hot Chocolate

Maybelline color tattoo 24hr in On and On Bronze 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Paint in Rich Russet

All carry the same principle - apply, smudge, go! I prefer to use my ring finger to apply and blend out the maybelline colour tattoo and the collection pencil. I reach for a tapered blending brush with the scandaleyes paint as the consistency is more wet. You have to work quick with the scandaleyes but once blended that baby won't budge for nothin'! I also find these bronze shades create definition on the lid without the need for any darker shades in the crease, a lazy girls dream!

Are there any products you use that look amazing in one swipe?

Revlon Highlighting Palette

Revlon have been releasing some corkers recently (matte balms, I'm looking at you) and one of their newest editions is the highlighting palette. Available in 2 shades, Rose Glow and Bronze Glow, and without stating the obvious one palette is pink based and the other more brown.

The idea is to achieve a quick and easy 'sun kissed glow'. With 5 stripes of colour, Rose Glow blends together to create rosy cheeks with a natural glow that isn't too shimmery. This blush is easily build-able but it's also reeeeealy hard to be heavy handed with, which is always a bonus at 7am. With bronzey shades plus a highlighting shimmery pink, it's the whole package.

I really like this product and actually enjoy using it, I may even pick up Bronze Glow in the near future if this spring weather keeps up! Yay for warmth!

Yes, It's the Naked 3 Palette...

It's here, in my hands... The 3rd offering from Urban Decay. Did I need this? No of course not, but just look at it, how could you deny yourself such beauty? I currently own the Naked 2 and the Naked Basic palettes - the basic probably being my most used palette of all time. So there was no doubt is was going to fall head over heels come release day.

This edition is full of rose gold pinks and browns and looks amazingly beautiful in the pan. I can predict this will be worn on my lids almost daily when summer finally arrives. No. 3 includes 3 matte shades and 9 shimmer - spanning from a creamy champagne to muted pinks and even a rose glitter infused black.

The thing I love about the Naked palettes is that there is always such an array of shades that you can create an easy day look as well as a intense night time look. I am so excited to try these out, particularly 'trick' and 'mugshot' they make me do a little ahhhhh every time I look at them. And my gosh 'blackheart' will create the most intense smokey eye known to mankind - can someone please invite me to a posh party now?

So there we have it, Urban Decay pull another beautiful palette out of the bag and it has well and truly gone down a storm. I know so many of you are already enjoying this dreamy offering, and for the rest - I bet it's on your wishlist!

Grab it! GLAMOUR Steals

Heads up old chums, this months GLAMOUR magazine is giving away a range of Model Co. products worth up to £16! GLAMOUR's offerings include two lipgloss shades; Berry Pink and Striptease, plus an eyeliner, mascara and illusion lip liner.

This little gem of a magazine provides you with fab reading plus a beauty product for just two squid! Naturally I scoured the shops to hunt down the mascara and the peachy lipgloss. Guys, they are selling out fast so i suggest you are quick on your heels!

First impressions on the Model Co products:

-The lipgloss is a tad sticky but smells super yummy, plus glossy smackers are the lip of spring '14.

-Their mascara gives a very natural fluttery effect, no clumps at all!

The mag also includes a 25% off voucher for H&M ladieswear - now c'mon, I dare you to say you're not tempted.

We Heart Hi Shine

One of my favorite nail polish ranges has got to be the Gelly Hi Shine nail paints from Barry M. They are so cheap compared to other brands and apply wonderfully, I mean what's not to love? 

The polishes give you a gel salon-esque finish for a fraction of the price, and you don't even have to leave the house. They wear well, with minimal chipping and come in a great shade range.

...Here are my current gems:

from left to right

Blueberry, Blood Orange, Blue Grape, Greenberry, Lychee

My fave out of the bunch is 'lychee'. You know you have that one nail polish that you go to everytime you have no idea what colour to choose? Well lychee is mine. Purely because it's such a classy, sophisticated nude that goes with any look or outfit. I would highly recommend picking this colour up if you don't already own it - it's a must have in anyone's polish stash and probably my most worn polish of 2013.

The other colours I have are a little more 'fun' - for some reason I was really drawn to the royal blue and classic red shades for a pop of (patriotic) colour. And then of course we also have the standard pastels that just call for summer to get a move on and give us some sunshine!!!

L'Oréal: in two minds

Maybe it's just me but every time that moment comes when you need to triple pump to get the last sorry remains of your foundation out of the bottle, it's a 'same old or try something new' situation.

So when my trusty Clinique foundation ran it's course I did some blog searchin' and found a whole lot of love for the L'Oreal True Match foundation (with it being likened to Giorgio Armani's Luminous Silk foundation :O) and so hit the nail on the head and purchased the shade N1 Ivory ASAP. It just so happened that L'Oreal was buy one, get the second half price, and by magic my make up wish list grew by one (I was yet to decide what one was). Eventually picking up the Super Liner Blackbuster in a bid to wear eyeliner more.

So after a week of trial and testing I am in two minds about these L'Oreal products. I haven't used their make up before and so these recent purchases have well and truly split my opinion 50/50.

The foundation is perfect, maybe a little on the light side in terms of colour but the formula is a lightweight liquid that can be built up to a great medium coverage, with minimal product. It has a pump (score) and SPF 17 which is always a plus. I need a few more weeks wear to fully review this foundation, but I think I'm onto a winner!

Now for the eyeliner... What can I say - it ain't 'blackbusting' for a start! I found the colour was far from intense and it took me a while to build up a strong black line. The nib is good, not too hard and just the right size but you can't achieve a good cat flick in a few swipes, a complete no no for if you are on the move a lot (or mostly late for work).

It can be said, I'm quite a novice when it comes to liquid eye liner and I'm afraid I don't think this particular liner is going to help me on my journey to cat flick connoisseur.

Are there any L'Oreal products that are a must have? What am I missing out on?

spill...

Nail Polish Storage

I'm always intrigued to see how other people store their make up and beauty products - partly for inspiration, partly due to pure nosiness. So if anyone else is as equally as nosey as me, here is how I store my (current) nail polishes.

I picked up this vintage tin in good old T K Maxx. I am a sucker for their home range and as I live on the same road as one it's hard for me to keep away! I think this was around £4 and was one of many cute vintage designs. I picked this Coca-Cola one up as my bedroom has a slightly red theme and this adds a nice touch.

Top Tip: the metal tin also keeps the polishes at a lower temperature, preventing them from become gloopy for longer - as c'mon it's inevitable!

How do you store your nail polish collection?