Summer 2013 | The Bold Edit

With summer nearly upon us (ha ha) it's time to whack out those lipsticks that really pack a punch. The season cries out for fuchsia, coral and orange shades a like and I've ploughed through my overflowing collection of lipsticks and picked my eight most summer worthy shades (most of them coral...).  Starting from the top and working round clockwise we have:

Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick in Hibiscus; £13.00 - I've had this product for almost a year and I use it time and time again during the spring and summer months.  It does what it says on the tin with a creamy, highly pigmented, moisturising formulation that leaves a gloss like finish on the lips without any of the stickiness.  You can use this as a sheer wash of colour or pile it on for a real pop of coral, plus it has a gorgeous vanilla scent.  As it's a glossy product, touch ups throughout the day are required, but for such a beautiful product its no chore. 

Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick in 17; £7.99 - More true to form when it comes to lipstick formulations, the latest lip products from Bourjois are easy to apply with a creamy and highly pigmented finish. Number 17 is a gorgeous coral which is slightly darker than Jemma Kidd and less glossy. These last a while on the lips but touch ups are needed after food and drink or perhaps after a few hours.  

MAC Viva Glam Nicki; £14.00 - Another gorgeous coral shade (are you noticing a pattern?) that leans towards the barbie pink rather than blood orange of the previous products.  Viva Glam Nicki is thick and highly pigmented and really adds a pop of vibrant colour to any look.  I like to describe this as "highlighter for your lips" as it really is very bright.  The thick formulation makes for long lasting colour, and a great colour to have on you to take a look from day to night.  

Maybelline Colour Sensation The Vivids in Shocking Coral; £7.19 - I only bought this last week but it's a definite must for any who love a bold pinky coral lip.  The product is cream, extremely pigmented and applies like a treat, with a slightly sheeny finish.  Use sparingly and rub into the lips for a more toned down look or go all the way to give your pout a lil something, something.  

Topshop Lipstick in Legend; £10.00 - Unfortunately, this was a limited edition shade but I just had to include it. Legend is a true blue-toned fuchsia in the typical Topshop formulation.  Pigmented, smooth to apply and with that gorgeous berry smell, this is one of my favourite summer shades.  It lasts a while, but touch ups are needed throughout the day.  It feels comfortable on the lips and the blue tones help to make teeth look whiter.  A good alternative would be something like Sleek's True Colour lippy in Fuchsia.  

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Rebel Red; £8.19 - Something for the faint hearted.  If you're not confident going (p)out and proud with a bold lip, these balm type lipsticks are great for a slick wash of glossy, moisturising colour.  Rebel Red is great for lazy days as you can apply and go, without having to use a lip brush or faffing about.  Needless to say, the staying power is minimal but its so easy to use that touch ups are not  a problem.  

Rimmel Apocalips in Stella; £4.99 - These need no introduction as they swept the beauty blogosphere back at the beginning of the year but they are fab for blod lip days. Stella in particular is for the brave. A bright red-pink colour that leaves a gorgeous glossy lacquer to the lips, I absolutely love these products. These are beyond super pigmented, the colour pay off is incredible and they sit comfortably on the lips.  The only problem is they don't as long as I'd like and they are a nightmare in the wind (hair + lip lacquer = no go). Apply one coat, blot and apply a second for maximum impact and staying power.  

L'Oreal GlamShine Stain Splash; £7.99 - This is a lip lacquer and stain in one.  It applies like a lacquer, creamy and pigmented and sticks like a stain.  If you're going on holiday, these are great as once in place, they just don't budge.  They can be slightly sticky to begin with but once they dry, they leave behind a gorgeous glossy (almost wet looking) stain to the lips.  These do have great lasting power but I find I need a touch up around 4-5 hours into the day/night.  Like the Apocalips, apply one coat, blog and apply a second to make the most out of this product.  

So those are my favourite lip products for summer, but what are yours? 

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

When it comes to eyeshadow palettes, theres only one brand on everyone's lips and that's Urban Decay.  They have a fantastic range of extremely pigmented, soft, creamy eyeshadows but their best known kits are the Naked series.  They launched the original Naked palette a few years ago now and since then it's become a beauty must have.  Following the success, they introduced the Naked two, featuring cool toned shades and then finally the Naked Basics was born.  The palette features six neutral shades, five of them completely matte - something that customers felt was lacking in the last two palettes.  From left to right we have:

Venus - The only shadow with some shimmer to it, it makes a great brow highlight or inner tear duct colour for brightening up the eye area.  

Foxy - A yellow toned cream matte shade, great for covering up redness on the lids. 

Walk of Shame (W.O.S) - A true cream colour and my personal favourite for all over the lid, it gives a subtle wash of colour.  

Naked 2 - A darker brown/beige colour that can be used in the crease to define an everyday eye look, or used all over the lids as a smoky eye base.  

Faint - A warm toned brown which works well as a crease colour or for filling in brows.  

Crave - A true matte black that can be used as a softer eyeliner alternative, or used to create maximum impact with a smoky eye. 

The Naked Basics is the perfect beginners palette, as it has everything you need to create both day and night looks.  My favourite combination is W.O.S swept across the lids with Naked 2 blended into the crease, finished off with Venus in the inner corner of the eye and also the center of the lid to brighten the look.  It's a compact palette, no bigger than an iPhone 5 in size and comes with a mirror, making it a good travel choice.  The shadows are great quality, they are soft and creamy, making them easy to blend across the lids and they're extremely pigmented, so you never need much on your brush.  They're long lasting when used with a primer (I never wear eyeshadow without).  At £20 (currently £17.80 at Beauty Bay), this is the cheapest of the three in the Naked family and it's a definite must if you're just getting into the world of eyeshadow or if like me, you're just looking to add to the family.  

Which is your favourite in the Naked series? 

New In | Drugstore Edition

 Lately, I've been finding myself pulled towards the likes of Boots and Superdrug and steering away from the high end concessions.  Now, I'm not saying that my love for luxury has died completely, I just think the drugstore is having a moment right now.  Brands have been launching products left, right and centre and some have been too gorgeous to avoid.  I found myself perusing the aisles of Superdrug yesterday, looking to pick up some essentials and also to treat myself after finishing my degree (would you like a post on my university experience?) and found that all cosmetics were on 3 for 2, so I felt I should oblige. 

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover; £4.99 - Another essential I've been meaning to pick up was the Bourjois nail polish remover.  This will be my third pot of the gimmicky goodness and I just love it.  It removes nail polish almost immediately and leaves a gorgeous fruity smell behind - my only hang up is that it's not toe friendly (don't pretend you haven't tried!).  

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer; £4.19 - Unless you were born yesterday, you'll know this product is very much loved and raved about in the UK.  I picked up another tube as I'm currently scraping the edges of my old one.  It provides amazing coverage, it doesn't cling to dry patches or looks cakey on the skin and it's only £4.19 - bargain! 

Sleek Shimmer Blush in Pomegranate; £4.49 - Sleek's a brand I haven't really ventured into much, apart from a lipstick and the infamous contour kit but when I saw this blush I couldn't not get it.  It's slightly more plummy in real life and it's definitely more of an autumn colour but I'm going to try and make it work for the summer - it could even be a great crease colour on the eye.  I've just swatched it and the pigmentation is lovely so I'm excited to try it.  

Maybelline Colour Sensation Vivids in Shocking Coral; £7.19 - I passed the Maybelline concession without a second glance until the word 'Vivids' caught my eye and I remembered seeing some of the lipsticks on YouTube.  I spied Shocking Coral, a true coral shade and popped it into my basket.  I swatched this once I got home and the colour really is vivid, plus it has a really nice smell to it. 

Bourjois Cream Blush in Nude Velvet (#01) and Rose Tender (#03); £7.99 - Bourjois are famous for their Little Round Pot blushers, but they've just launched their new cream blushers, complete with that Bourjois rose scent.  Admittedly, this is the reason I wanted to go into Superdrug and out of the four shades on offer, these two stood out the most.  I've really been enjoying cream blushers lately and I'm excited to try these. 

Have you picked up any goodies from Boots or Superdrug lately?

Inside: Travel Make Up Bag

When I'm out and about, like most girls, I like to have the daily face essentials on hand, ready to combat any oily sheen or lipstick malfunction.  I try not to carry around too much with me, just the bare necessities.  Powder is always the first thing to be thrown into the pouch and right now I'm between two powders, MAC's MSF Natural in Light and Rimmel's Stay Matte in Translucent.  This is to help keep my make up in place for longer, without threat of slipping as the day wears on.  I've been using the Real Techniques Contour Brush for powder, as I like to apply it where it's needed, rather than slather it on all over the place.  The next thing to make the cut is concealer and of course it's Collection Lasting Perfection - I think I'm on my fifth or sixth tube of the stuff but it really is as good as they say.  As it's quite a heavy coverage its great for on the go foundation touch ups as well as concealing.  I bring along the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush for this job, it's great at creating a seamless finish no matter the heavy duty product.  

I also carry a rather grubby looking Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Nude, for times when my peepers need to look more awake.  The gel like formula means that this liner hardly budges but sometimes it's nice to have it with you, for touch up peace of mind.  My mascara of the day also comes along for the ride, as I find that sometimes it can end up under the eyes leaving you looking like a panda - never a good look no matter how cute they are.  I try to keep both a nude and a bright lipstick on me at all times so that I have options for whatever occasion might pop up during the day.  When I'm in a rush however, only the lipstick I'm wearing will get slung into the mix.  With the warmer weather finally arriving, I've been reaching for the Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Gloss Stick in Hibiscus, which as the name suggests is moisturising, glossy and pigmented as hell.  The perfect coral lipstick? I think so.  Other necessities that make the cut are a compact mirror - for on the go touch ups, lip balm as well as a hair tie and bobby pin, because you never know in this country whether rain will frazzle your 'do' or not.  

What are your travel essentials?

April Favourites

So let's begin the post with a cliche.  I can't believe it's May already, it feels like it was Christmas only yesterday, but alas summer is slowly creeping up on us and it's time for a monthly favourites post.  As you may know, I've been a busy bee with university work this month, but that could never stop a girl from indulging in a little beauty every now and again.  Needless to say, my make up has been very minimal this month, needing the extra minutes in bed over a perfect eyeliner flick.  

Lets start with my only skincare item to make the cut.  The Emma Hardie Amazing Face became a saviour this month after I began running low on my beloved Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish.  I had thrown this to the back of my stash but after pulling it out, it has reigned supreme as my go to cleanser this month. The product is a balm that requires a little water to make it slightly less thick, before massaging into the skin.  It melts away every trace of make up whilst thoroughly cleansing the skin and leaving it feeling fresh and hydrated.  

Moving onto make up and onto the blushers, you know I've been loving the Stila Convertible Color in Gerbera, which I talked about earlier this week.  It's the perfect spring/summer shade and is so easy to apply.  When I'm not feeling the dewy look as much, I've been turning to NARS Douceur blush.  Douceur is perfect for fair skinned girls, it's a gorgeous peachy brown shade which gives off a subtle flush of colour and can even be used as a soft contour. I'm definitely finding myself falling more and more in love with the NARS blushers every time I use them. They are soft and pigmented and apply seamlessly onto the skin, without leaving you looking like you've been running around in the cold.  

For the eyes, again I've been keeping it simple.  If I chose to wear eyeshadow, I just dusted the darker, purple-taupe shade from the NARS Tokyo duo across my lids for a soft wash of colour.  Other days I've gone straight in with the mascara.  A recent discovery is the Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara which I got free in Superdrug when it was on offer.  Admittedly, I hadn't had high hopes for this mascara but yet again Rimmel pulled it out of the bag.  The formula gives volume without leaving clumped up spider legs behind and the wand is tappered, allowing you to really get hold of every single lash. Another Rimmel product that's got the seal of approval is the Kate for Salon Pro nail colour in Soul Session. I spoke more in depth yesterday about the range and mentioned that this particular shade has taken the top spot in my nail colour preference (sorry Models Own Pink Beige, you're still number 2).  

I've been into my MAC lipsticks again this month, in particular Myth and Hue.  Both nude shades, I usually wear them together as I find Myth gives too much of a concealer lip look.  Together they create the perfect nude but sometimes I will just pop Hue on.  Myth is a matte formula, whilst Hue is a glaze. 

These are my monthly favourites, but what are yours?  

Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Colour: The Kate Collection

Rimmel are currently the high street brand to beat when it comes to product launches.  Earlier this year they launched their popular Apocalips, not to mention their Scandaleyes Waterproof Khol Kajal liners, Kate Collection Matte lipsticks and now the new Salon Pro by Kate range.  The collection features 10 new shades, all picked by Mossy and there are some really gorgeous colours.  These had been on my radar for a while and I'd always look out for them whenever I popped into Boots or Superdrug.  I picked up Soul Session and Jazz Funk, although I have since gone back and purchased Rhythm & Blues and will probably buy some more in the near future.  

Rimmel claim that you can get up to 10 days chip free, thanks to the added Lycra in the formula. Whilst these polishes definitely last longer than some of my more expensive picks (I'm looking at you Chanel), I find they last around 4-6 days before chipping, depending on what I'm doing.  This is still pretty impressive for me, as I usually change up my nails quite often.  The Salon Pro Nail Colours also come with a wide brush, making application super easy, usually only needing one swipe per nail.  The product is pretty opaque and I very rarely go back in for a second coat, which is great if you're as impatient as I am when it comes to waiting for your talons to dry.  

As I previously mentioned, there are some great colour choices including gorgeous nudes (Soul Session has now replaced my beloved Models Own Pink Beige), Summer brights (Jazz Funk, Brit Pop and Hip Hop), a classic red (Classical Red) as well as some darker colours which would be perfect for the autumn (Rhythm & Blues and Punk Rock).  At £4.49 these aren't going to break the bank and with such amazing quality and colours, I'm not sure if I will be tempted by other brands for a while. Another triumphant launch, Rimmel.  

Have you bought any of the Kate Moss Salon Pro Nail Colours?

Stila Convertible Color in Gerbera

As Spring is slowly creeping up on us, it's time for a make up change over.  I've been opting for more 'dewy' looking products that make me look fresh faced and feel more in touch with the changing season.  A multi-tasking product that has swept over the blogosphere is the Stila Convertible Color.  There are eight different shades in the collection, including the gorgeous Gerbera who now lives in my stash, usually in my trusty travel make up bag.  

Gerbera is a beautiful coral colour and the product is multi-purpose, so you can use it both on your lips and on your cheeks as a stain.  Although I sometimes use it on my lips, I find it works best as a blush, as on the lips it can be a tad drying.  Firstly, it packs serious punch. The product is extremely pigmented, you only need to dip your brush (or fingers if you prefer) once to get the right amount of colour.  I've hardly touched the product, although I've used it countless times already.  As it's a cream formula, it gives off a slightly dewy look and really helps to brighten up your complexion. Oily skins need not steer away from this, I don't find it makes me any more oily during the day.  Secondly, the colour doesn't budge until you take it off in the evening. The product comes in a compact packaging, which includes a mirror, making it the perfect travel companion.  The colour of the packaging also reflects the shade of the product inside, so you know exactly what colour you're getting when searching through your stash. 

This is my first Stila product and I am really impressed with the brand thus far, I'm definitely tempted by a few more of the Convertible Colors (I'm looking at you Fuschia and Gladiola).  At £16.00, it's not the cheapest product out there but the fact that you need only the smallest amount of product, I feel you would more than get your moneys worth with it. I've also noticed that you can buy them in a three pan palette for a limited period for £23.00 (tempting little bargain).    

Have you tried the Stila Convertible Colors?