Current Favourites

Hello Blogger. Long time no see. It's fair to say that managing my time is not my best attribute but studying and working at the same time doesn't give me much time to myself to manage! However, I am back and I can't wait to see what I've missed in the blogging world.

I'd love to check out your recent posts - Leave your links below!

Without further ado...

Smashbox - Studio Skin Foundation 

I had never ventured to the smashbox counter until a few weeks ago, seeking a new foundation I decided to give it a shot! The lady working there greeted me and asked what I was looking for, she showed me two best selling foundations, this one and 'Liquid Halo HD Foundation'. Both foundations were appealing in different ways but I decided to go with the Studio Skin Foundation as I prefer a medium buildable coverage to a light one. 

I'm in love already. This foundation does what it says and stays put for definitely close to 15 hours, without much fading or transfer. (My pet hate,  finishing on the phone to realise you a bang slap faceprint on your phone screen, not cool) Hydrating and oil free? Yes guys, we have finally a good foundation for multiple skin types, perfect for combination.  I own this foundation in the shade 1.1, which is the lightest shade that Smashbox make. At first I thought this was a little dark due to it being quite yellow toned but once blended well with a buffering brush, it looks flawless. 

Mac Lipstick - Lovelorn 

I admit it I have a lipstick obsession, I just can't stop buying them. Mac seem to make up the majority of my collection due to their many colours and formulas.  Lovelorn isn't a lipstick I would normally go for, as i'm not really a bright pink girl. However, this beauty was an unexpected christmas present which now happens to me a new favourite of mine. Mac describe Lovelorn as an 'emotive blue pink' with a lustre finish. This formula gives sheer coverage, with a sheen. Glossy, so not the most long-wearing. For a lustre this lipstick is very pigmented which I love. I feel this would be suitable on any skin tone and any for occasion day or night. Just Beautiful. 

Mac Pro longwear Paintpot - Vintage Selection 

This is a dirty rose/peach colour with a pearlescent glow. Looks stunning on the eyelid alone or great to build eyeshadow onto. I think this would look great as a base for a rose gold look. Comment if you'd like to see this!  This product is extremely long lasting, without a doubt lasts all day without moving. Highly pigmented, creamy at first, dries fast leaving an intense and vibrant finish. 

Remember to leave me a link to your blog!

HolleyMarie

Mini Haul

Apologies for not being active for awhile, being a student nurse is well and truly eating up all of my time! But not to fret retail therapy is always the answer, as well as other things I picked up three products, Mac Prolong wear Paint Pot in Bare Study, Mac Lipstick in Creme Cup and Urban Decay Vemon. I'm absolutely in love with all of these beauties. 

Mac Prolong wear Paint Pot - Bare Study

I've heard a lot of good reviews about the Mac Paint Pots yet until this point I did not own one, as a treat I picked on up in Bare Study. This is a soft beige colour with a gold pearl which looks stunning on the eyelid alone or great to build eyeshadow onto.  This product is extremely long lasting, I would go as far as staying this product would last all day without moving or fading away. As a nursing student this product is perfect for just quickly applying on them early mornings, it also doesn't look too much. I would definitely purchase another MAC prolong wear paint pot, probably in Camel Coat or Painterly - Comment below your favourite shade, I'd love to have a little collection. 

Mac Creme Cup 

I finally said 'hello' to Creme Cup, the fifth addition to my growing Mac lipstick collection. I'm normally not a pink lipstick girl but I couldn't say no to this creamy light blue pink shade. I feel this would be suitable on any skin tone and any for occasion day or night. This lipstick is a cremesheen which means it is super creamy on the lips, not drying but also not as long lasting as a matte lipstick.

Urban Decay - Vemon

Creamy badass luxury, indeed, once again Urban Decay you have completely done it for me. Finally, for a while I've been meaning to pick up autumn lip colour for the new season. As berry lips are very now I wanted to originally pick up a dark berry shade but when found 'Vemon' by Urban Decay it was love a first sight! This is a stunning dark pinkish purple is creamy, long lasting, hydrating and nourishing all in one. Next I can't wait to buy 'Shame' which is Urban Decay's darkest red berry shade, also perfect for this time of year.

What's your favourite shade?
HolleyMaire

Rouge à Lèvres

British summer time is great don't get me wrong but autumn will always be my favourite time of year. Beautiful scenes, going back into education or work, a fresh start, colourful leaves falling from trees buying that new coat and scarf, halloween, bonfire night but my absolute favourite thing is digging out them darker shades of makeup and rocking them day and night.

Here are my three favourite red shades for the new season, without a doubt this collection will grow by the end of autumn. If you have any suggestions for me, leave them below because there is nothing   I love more than buying a new lipstick especially a darker one! 

Top to bottom - Mac 'Viva Glam 1',  Urban Decay 'Manic' & Rimmel Kate Moss '107'

Mac - 'Viva Glam 1' - £15.50

Mac have probably the biggest lipstick collection I have ever seen, if you were to think of any colour  in the world and walk into a Mac store you'd probably find it. There is no doubt about it, Mac lipsticks are my all time favourites, they come in so many formulas, are a great quality and smell beautiful! 

'Viva Glam 1' is a red that definitely deserves more credit. It's a beautiful blue toned browish-red that I would say was a little more toned down than the  famous Ruby Woo by Mac. Never the less this lipstick is very pigmented, applies easily and stays put for hours. I think this would be a great shade that could be worn day and night now that the weather is cooling down. 

Urban Decay - 'Manic' - £15.00

I have a huge love for Urban Decay, when I was growing up I went through countless dark eyeshadows and eye liners by UD but this is my first ever lipstick. I'm absolutely in love with the packaging, the gun mental sliver tube looks great with the purple and the individual lipstick shades. If  I could be a lipstick I'd be an Urban Decay one, it's so me! (Very strange, I know) I can't wait to pick some more up but I've been so stuck on what shades to buy, I love them all, its impossible to decide!

'Manic' is from the Revolution collection and is a creamy red with light pink undertones. It's super long lasting, hydrating on the lips and nourishing. The formula is a little sheer but can be build up to a very pigmented colour. Check this out here.  All together beautiful and I can't wait to get using this more in the new season. 

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick - '107' - £5.49

I've been loving the Kate Moss collection by Rimmel for years but I especially like the matt lipstick collection. I have a few different shades from both collections and I've never been unhappy with any of them. 

My all time favourite is the lipstick in '107'. This is a beautiful very pink toned red/plum colour an absolute must have for autumn. It contrasts well with my fair skin and brightens the face completely, I often get complements when wearing this one. This is easy to wear day and night, I wear a light layer during the day and build it up for an evening. It's just perfect especially for the price! 

Over the Autumn and Winter I want to build up a reds and darks collection so if you have any ideas please let me know in the comments!

HolleyMarie

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August Favourites

August is coming to an end and I've had a really great month of relaxation and spending time with the people I love, I hope you all had a lovely summer too. I thought this would be a great time to share with you my August Favourites! 

Make up 

1) Mac Studio Fix Fluid in NW13

This month I discovered my new favourite foundation and that is the very famous Mac Studio Fix Fluid. I'd be surprised if you haven't heard about this or if you've heard a bad word about it, it's very much raved about. Well I'm going to join the crowd because I absolutely love it! The oil free foundation has a natural matte finish with a medium yet buildable coverage. I found this absolutely perfect for my pale skin in the shade NW13. This foundation lasts a long time and looks just as good hours into your day.  Check out the original post. 

2) Mac Lipstick in 'Hug Me'

I've bought a few lipsticks this month but this is my favourite! 'Hug Me' is a lovely smokey rose colour in a lustre finish. This finish was great over the summer as it is sheer, creamy and not at all drying on the lips. A perfect nude for me. Check out the original post.

3) Seventeen Wow 3 Way Highlighter 

Just buy it! You won't regret it I promise. In the past Seventeen have been a brand I've over looked, after reviewing some of their products in this post I discovered some great makeup that I will continue to repurchase time and time again. This highlighter can be used in three ways, as a primer under foundation, you can mix it with foundation to make it more dewy (a lot like Mac Strobe Cream) or you can use it as a highlight on foundation. With bronzer this makes my cheek bones look more defined and adds a healthy shine to the face that doesn't look greasy. I love it! 

4) Seventeen Stay Time Concealer 

Without a doubt this has been my go to summer concealer, I've probably used it everyday.  This concealer gave me my summer confidence to go out without wearing foundation and just this product and a powder. This  concealer covers spots effortlessly, is great under the eyes and doesn't crease. It's safe to say that this concealer does what it says on the tube and stay on all day, great for them long summer days out when you're not thinking about reapplying makeup. Original post here!

Skincare 

5) Lush The Scared Truth Face Mask

I've tried many Lush face masks in the past and I love every single one of them but this one somehow seems to stand out from the crowd.  I've been using this 2/3 times a week for the past 3 weeks and my skin has never felt better. I usually have very dry skin and I feel this face mask is the reason why my skin feel moisturised and soft a lot of the time.  My complexion looks brighter, more radiant and my skin is clear of spots completely (for once!) I would definitely recommend this to anybody with dry skin, its a god sent. Read more here.

6) Thea Walnut and Chamomile Body Glow Polish 

This month I received some samples from Thea skincare for me to review. I never expected to end up writing about one of these in my favourites but this Body Polish is an absolutely beautiful exfoliator. I was happy to discover that this product was rough enough to remove dry skin leaving my skin feeling smooth and soft but gentle enough to not make the skin sore or red. This product was perfect for refreshing the skin by naturally exfoliating all dead skin cells away but also moisturising as it includes ingredients such as Aloe Juice which seals in moisture allowing new skin cells to grow and Jojoba oil which hydrates the skin. Full review here.

7) Nivea soft

Who doesn't like a multipurpose moisturiser? Nivea soft is a great moisturising cream for everyday use. It has a light formula with Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil that refreshes skin leaving it very soft. This comes in a perfect squeeze-y tube that can be just thrown in a bag and carried around with you then pulled back out and used on the face, body and hands. This was great on them hot summer days. 

Brush

8) Real Techniques Expert Face Brush 

After wanting one of these for a long time, I finally picked one up. My foundation has never looked so natural on my face, this is definitely one that deserves its hype. The brush is super soft and dense, perfect for buffing in foundation, leaving you looking absolutely flawless all day long. I feel my face colour is more even and smooth looking after using this brush. Original post here!

Clothing

10) River Island Black Jersey Twill Blazer 

I usually never write about clothes on my blog but I'm letting my new blazer be the exception. (Please ignore the mirror shot, I don't have any other pictures) I love this is boyish fit blazer that is just in time for the new season,  I can't wait to dress it down for university or dress it up for meals in town. At only £40 I couldn't say no. 

Blogs 

11) longhairandlashes - Grace 

Grace has a lovely little blog that will leave you beauty lovers lusting over huge hauls that are filled with great products. This was one of the first blogs I followed and has always kept me interested! 

12) TillyEnn - Tilly 

Tilly is another blogger that I have been loving this month. After reading some of her posts I actually went on a huge Soap and Glory hunt myself! Thanks for the inspiration and a low bank balance Tilly. 

With summer almost over who's looking forward to Autumn make up and fashion? I can't wait to dig out the dark vampy lips and buy a new jumper! 

Mac Lipstick Wish List

Is it just me or does being in the blogging community bring you a lot of cravings? I mean, ever since I started reading great blogs about amazing products my wish list has been sky high! The main product I just can't get enough of is MAC lipsticks and I know I'm not alone here. As a newbie to MAC my lipstick collection is only small, currently I own four these are; Viva Glam 1, Spirt, Shanghai Spice and Hug Me. When the finishes are such high quality and they come in every colour imaginable with a gorgeous scent, how can you not want more? 

After reading a lot of blogs including these lovelies I have came up with quite a large wish list. These are my most wanted lipsticks: 

High Tea - Lustre -  'Beige- pink with pearl'
Hue - Glaze - 'Soft pale pink'
Creme Cup - Cremesheen - 'Light blue pink'
Pink Plaid - Matte - 'Dirty blue pink'
Plumful - Lustre - 'Blossoming rose-plum'
Lady Danger - Matte - 'Vivid bright coral-red'
Ruby Woo - Retro Matte - 'Very Matte Vivid Blue Red'
Russian Red - Matte- 'Intense blueish red'
Rebel - Satin - 'Midtonal cream plum'
Diva - Matte - 'Intense reddish burgundy'

(Thank you bloggers for inspiring me!)

I'd love to hear about what your favourites are, maybe you have one of these and would or wouldn't recommend it to me? Maybe you know a better alternative to one of these? or maybe you feel I've missed out something amazing? 

Lets talk lipsticks?

HolleyMaire

'Back to' Picks

Well the end of the summer is definitely looming, with only a few weeks until the schools, colleges, universities are open again for the autumn term, I thought it would be a great time to share with you my 'Back to' picks. With the aim of creating an everyday look that is light, quick to apply and suitable for all ages.

Max Factor Face Finity All Day Flawless Foundation - £11.99 & Natural Collection Corrector Stick £1.99

Being a student I know what them rushed mornings can be like. The Max Factor Face Finity is a great 3 in 1 primer, concealer and foundation and is brilliant for them mornings when you are in a bit of a hurry!
Before using this product I do like use a moisturising primer because I have dry skin but if you don't have this problem the foundation may be fine without as it has a build it primer.

When applying this foundation, I firstly apply it like a concealer to the under eyes and any imperfections I may have on that day. This is quite a thick foundation which means that it does make a reasonable concealer. If not, the Natural Collection Corrector Stick may be for you.  This was  a godsend when I was at school as it removes any redness on the skin. This works as the creamy green colour of the concealer contouracts the red, colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel neutralise each other.

 After that I use a brush and buff the liquid into my whole face. This foundation leaves you will a beautiful matte finish which is really long lasting. Again, great as you probably don't have time to be topping up your make up during your school or college day.

The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara - £10 & Bourjois Liner Feutre £6.99

Next up is eyes, when I was at school I could never be bothered to get up and spend time on eye shadow, I basically only put on the bare essentials. If you like an eyeshadow add this is here.

The Mascara I have chosen is The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara, I originally bought this as a night time mascara but it surprising looks really natural on the eye lashes. This is a great quality leaving lashes looking lovely but not over done, there is no clumps after use and isn't at all messy. When I use this product it never takes much mascara to get the desired look meaning one tube will last you a long time.

If I decide not to wear eyeshadow I feel that my eyelids look to bare so I like to quickly put on a bit of eyeliner. This Bourjois liquid felt-tip like liner is perfect for this as it glides on nice and easy. As I'm going for an everyday look I only add a thin line but I feel this finishes the eyes off. This is probably my favourite liquid eyeliner of this style, its a one I'd recommend to anybody.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush in Santa Rose - £3.99 & MAC Lipstick in Hug Me £15.50

I've gone for subtle pink shade for both lips and cheeks, this will add a everyday amount of colour to the face, perfect for school.

This blush by Rimmel is probably one of my favourite drugstore blushers, its perfectly everyday and a gorgeous smokey rose colour. I'd say this is a great blush for anybody with fair skin but it would suit all skin colours due to the colour being buildable. The only disadvantage to this product is that it is a small size, making it hard to get an even spread on a brush. If you like a less subtle look add a darker blush or a bronzer here!

Last but definitely not least is the MAC lipstick in Hug me. If you have been reading my blog recently you will know that I've have quite an obsession with lipsticks, especially MAC ones. This one being my most recent purchase I had to give it mention as its a perfect match to the blush in my opinion! Hug Me is a darker smokey rose colour with a lustre finish meaning the formula gives a sheer coverage with a sheen. 

Have you tried any of these products? I'd love to hear what you think. 

HolleyMarie 

Results Day Treats

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. Urban Decay Lipstick in Manic. Mac Lipstick in Shanghai Spice.

On Thursday in England it was A level results day. (If you received results I hope it went well for you!) My dad congratulated me by giving me some money to buy myself something nice. Ofcourse, I got ready and went straight to MAC. When I got there I realised that every student in my city must have had the same idea, it was hard to even get to close to the counter never mind get some advice from somebody working there!

MAC Lipstick - Shanghai Spice 

After a good thirty minutes of waiting to get near the lipsticks I finally got there. I've been looking for a MAC everyday summery shade for awhile now so when I picked up Shanghai Spice I fell in love with it instantly. This lipstick is a cremesheen, which is my favourite finish so far. This is because its really comfortable on the lips and not at all drying however, this means the lipstick does not last as long as a matt or satin finish. Shanghai Spice is described as a 'frosted natural pink' by MAC but on me it looks like it has a little more orange-y tones than pink ones. This isn't disappointing as it looks like a really soft version of Ravishing, which I'd probably never pull off!

Urban Decay - Manic 

Next I went to Urban Decay as I've been eyeing-up their lipsticks for a while now. I wasn't sure which shade to go for but the woman working there was a great help. She picked me out a nude (Naked 2) a bright (Manic) and a pink (Lovelight) which would go with my skin tone. I absolutely loved them all but I went for Manic, this shade is a red with pink tones and small about of shimmer. This lipstick also has a creamy finish, a lovely shine, is opaque and long lasting. She recommended I bought the matching Manic lipliner but I'm not a high end lip liner fan, sometimes I feel for what it is you can find a decent equivalent from the high street. Finally, how pretty is the tube it comes in? The gun mental appearance with the purple tube is just stunning. Without a doubt I'll be buying another in the next few weeks!

Real Techniques - Expert Face Brush

Thanks to my lovely girlfriend I finally have the Real Techniques - Expert Face Brush. I'm so glad I listened to the hype and went out and got one of these because they really are as good as everybody makes out. The brush is super soft and dense, perfect for buffing in foundation, leaving you looking absolutely flawless all day long. I feel my face colour is more even and smooth looking after using this brush. This makes me really want to invest in some more higher quality make up brushes!

Which make up brushes do you use or would you recommend to me?

Holley Marie

MAC had me at hello

Its true, MAC has well and truly stolen my high end virginity. I used to believe that high end makeup was nothing but a name on a bottle that you paid triple the high street price for. But it turns out I couldn't have been more wrong. 

After what feels like forever of trying to hunt down a foundation that suited my skin tone, didn't break me out or make my skin dry up a friend suggested that I tried MAC. Reluctant of wasting another £6-15 on foundation that would only be used once then sit in my bottom drawer, I took her advise and visited my local MAC counter.

I explained my skin type to the girl working there and she suggested I took a sample of the MAC studio fix fluid foundation in NW13 home with me before committing to the purchase, since I'd been having some problems in the past. I found this gesture very welcoming, I mean who doesn't like a tester or a freebie! Turns out this foundation formula and colour has been the best match I have found as of yet.  

The oil free foundation has a natural matte finish with a medium yet buildable coverage. I found this absolutely perfect for my pale skin, this will be great for other redheads out there, as it blends with freckles rather than giving a 'caked' face appearance. Embrace your features, never hide them away! This foundation claims to last 8 hours and I think it would be completely true in the winter months, lets just say humidity can put a downer your flawless finish in the summer! 

Since I intended to buy a MAC foundation there then I felt unsatisfied that I didn't have any goodies to take home with me, this left me starring at the lipstick section. You probably don't know this but I have a quite the lipstick obsession so finding out that MAC has one of the biggest lipstick collections I have ever seen was pretty dreamy. I bought both Viva Glam I and Spirit.

Viva Glam I is an absolute cult classic and a beautiful shade of red.  Its matt finish makes it long lasting, around 4-6 hours, my new favourite go to 'night out' lipstick. One downside is that because of the matt finish this lipstick can be drying on the lips, not to worry this can be quickly sorted by applying a lip balm before the lipstick. 

Spirit is not a shade I would usually go for but recently I've been craving new colours, I'm so happy I decided to buy it as it goes with my skin tone very well. I enjoy a darker lip that I can pull of in an everyday look. The satin finish is a lot like the matt but with an added small amount of sheen,  it is less drying however does not last as long (around 5 hours).

So whats next? I want to build my MAC lipstick collection,  I'd love to buy Plumful, Kinda Sexy and Russian Red. If you guys have any suggestions I'd love to hear! 

HolleyMarie