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

Top 5 Lush Loves

As you can see I'm a little obsessed with Lush and have been for a long time now. In my opinion there is nothing better than a colourful, good smelling, handmade product that you know includes natural or safe ingredients. From years of collecting I have to say there isn't many Lush products that I don't like, so picking my top 5 was definitely difficult. 

To make it easier I set myself the task of only choosing one product per purpose. So here we have it from left to right they are Vanilla Dee-Lite, Happy Hippy, Rub Rub Rub, Mask of Magnaminty and Bubblegum Lip Scrub. 

Vanilla Dee- Lite - £12.75 per 250g
This body lotion is a gorgeous light moisturiser that leaves the skin super soft with a long lasting vanilla scent. Surprising Vanilla Dee-Lite includes fresh kiwi fruit, which is a good product for removing dead skin, making this lotion great for use after a nice scrub. When I choose a body lotion I always go for one which includes cocoa butter, like Vanilla Dee-Lite does. This is because cocoa butter is extremely moisturising and is known for treating stretch marks, scars and burned or dry skin which is always useful to have around.  

Happy Hippy - £3.50 per 100g / £6.96 per 250 g / £11.50 per 500g

Described by Lush as 'perfect for a morning shower' which I have to say I completely agree,  this product smells so citrus-y that it leaves you feeling awake and fresh. Happy Hippy is known for being great for sensitive skin and is 100% Vegan. 

Rub Rub Rub - £8.50 per 330g

This product (apart from always making me laugh because it sounds a bit rude in the 'how to use' section) is probably one of my all time favourite scrubs. I don't know about you but I'm often disapointed by body scrubs, you expect them to be rough but no in my experience they often have few exfoliating beads giving you an aching arm before a smooth leg. Rub Rub Rub is perfect for people who like a rougher experience. 

Mask of Magnaminty - £5.25 per 125g / £9.50 per 315g 

This product is without a doubt my all time favourite from Lush. I've been buying this for as long as I can remember, I've probably had 5 or 6 of the large tubs. This face mask has a beautiful pepperminty smell which gently exfoliates the skin leaving it feeling fresh and glowing. Mask of Magnaminty is my go to product if I have a break out due to honey being one of the main ingredients. Honey has been used as a skin ointment for over 2000 years due to its antiseptic nature. 

Bubblegum - £5.50 per 25g
The bubblegum  lip scrub was my first ever Lush purchase and has always been a favourite. This scrub is perfect for removing any dry skin from the lips before applying a lipstick, making  your favourite lip products last longer. Bubblegum is made from candy floss tasting caster sugar leaving you forever licking it off  your lips! 

What are your favourite Lush products? 

HolleyMarie

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 

Great products for problematic skin

The Body Shop Vitamin C Facial Polish, The Body
Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser  & Dark Angels by Lush

Over the last few years I've  found it impossible to up keep with my skin, one day I'm dry the next I'm dull not to mention them days when I break out due to excess oil. Well, I've finally found a skincare combination that suits my skin even on its bad days.  

Oily skin solution 

DARK ANGELS - LUSH - £.6.40 per 100g

Dark Angels comes in the trademark classic recycled tub by Lush in both 100g and 250g. Inside the tub is a thick black powdery formula, one that might be considered strange as a facial cleanser. When applying  Dark Angels I only use a small amount of product, I usually mix it together with water on the palm of my hand before applying it to my face. This makes the product into a liquid rather than powder, when in this form you can see grains of the ingredient black sugar which works as an excellent natural exfoliant leaving the face smooth and fresh. 

The application can be a little messy due to charcoal being the other main ingredient. (So, be sure not to touch anything with them black fingers when trying to check out your coal face in the mirror) Never the less the charcoal helps dry up and wash away them oily patches. 

Dark Angels is great for acne prone skin because it has an natural antiseptic ingredient which removes any bacteria causing spots.  Rosewood oil in this product leaves your face silky soft by moisturising and cooling the skin, leaving an overall great result.  

Dry & Dull skin solution 
Vitamin C Facial Polish - The Body Shop - £11.00 per 100ml

Unlike Dark Angels, this facial polish by The Body Shop comes in tubes of 100ml only, this is not disappointing as product lasts a really long time. (This one has lasted me around 8 months of using it 2-3 times a week and I've still got a fair bit to go!) The product inside is a transparent liquid with orange micro beads to gently buff them dull and dry skin patches away.  This enhances the skin's natural radiance and making you look fresh. 

Similarly to Dark Angels when applying this facial polish I also only need to use a small amount as it buffs into a lovely lather, which smells fruity and gorgeous. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that slows down the process of any other that elements that could be damaging the skin, such as the sun. This means that vitamin C helps protect collagen and prevents dry skin, fine lines and wrinkles. In my opinion this is a real must have in your skin care routine. 

Open pore & blemished skin solution 
Tea Tree Pore Minimiser - The Body Shop - £7.50 per 30ml

After using either Dark Angels or the Vitamin C Facial polish depending on how my skin is feeling I always use this pore minimiser by The Body Shop. It comes in a thin green tube that holds 30ml of a thick creamy yellow liquid. This tube is quite small and doesn't last too long but at only £7.50 it is very affordable to go out and buy another. 

The application is easy, I tend to rub it into my skin in a circular motion on my cheeks and nose. After time this product really does minimise the pores on the skin, this doesn't happen at first but after a few weeks of using it I saw a significant difference.  Tea tree oil has disinfecting and soothing properties which make it a brilliant acne treatments, tea tree will not strip your skin of its natural oils and cause further damage like chemical spot treatments often do. This product also primes and mattifies making it an ideal base for make up. 

I hope this helps
Holley

Links - 
Dark Angels by Lush - https://www.lush.co.uk/products/cleansers/dark-angelsVitamin C Facial Polish by The body Shop - http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/vitamin-c/vitamin-c-facial-cleansing-polish.aspxTea 
Tree Pore Minimiser  by The Body Shop - http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/tea-tree/tea-tree-pore-minimiser.aspx