MAC Launch, Hey Sailor!

Hey Sailor!

"Set sail this summer with a colour collection inspired by the glam of vintage pin-up girls. Go overboard with the never-ending colours of Pro Longwear Lip Pencils, Zoom Waterfast Lash, Lipglass and more! Limited Edition."

I cannot wait to get my hands on some of these navy inspired, limited edition M.A.C product, especially the racy red lipsticks! Also on offer are misty eye’d blue shadows, beach appropriate bronzers and SPF 20 tints! I adore this collection for its versatility, allowing you to create bold looks or something a little more fresh faced.  

"Jump in the lake this summer with a color and a bronzing collection that were made ​​to drive the finest marinas and at anchor. Decked out with a stylish sailor-striped packaging occurs fabulous fleet of small eye shadows, lipsticks, lipglass, Powder Blushes, pigment, Powerpoint Eye Pencils, Pro Long Wear Lip Pencils, Nail Lacquers and Zoom Water Fast Lash their service to. work you sun-kissed with the Bronzing Powders, Pro Long Wear Bronzing Powders, High- Light Powder To The Beach Body Oil, Lip Balms Liquid Suntints SPF 20 and Face Blender Brush 167SH. M · A · C invites you to the most carefree, yacht-igste collection of the season to experience".

Lipstick

• Salute! - Neutral peach (Amplified)
• To Catch a Sailor - Highly frosted tan (Frost)
• Red Racer - Bright yellow red (Satin)
• Sail La Vie - Bright mid-tone orange (Satin)
  

Lipglass

• Cut Loose - White gold with pearl
• Orange Tempera - Pale peach (Repromote)
• Blessedly - Rich pale coral
• Riviera Life - Bright tangerine
• Send Me Sailing  - Bright yellow red
  

Pro Longwear Lip Pencil

• Saunter - Pale nude beige
• Throw Me a Line - Bright true red
• Shore Leave - Light vibrant coral
  

Eyeshadow

• Crystal Avalanche - White with reflects (Veluxe Pearl) (Permanent)
• Barefoot - Tarnished gold (Veluxe Pearl)
• Jaunty - Light yellow beige (Frost)
• Feeling Fresh - Bright green (Frost)
• Nautical - Navy blue (Satin)
  

Bronzing Powder

• Soft Sand - Golden bronze with fine gold pearl
• Refined  - Golden Finely spun golden with soft pearl finish (Permanent)
• Pro Longwear Bronzing Powder

• Nude on Board - Bronzy, yellow tone
• Sun Dipped - Dirty red tone

  High-Light Powder

  
  

  Crew - Soft peachy cream with fine shimmer

  Blush
  

  • Launch Away! - True peach (Satin)
  • Fleet Fast - Pinky, golden coral (Satin)
    

  Nail Lacquer

  • Verstral  - White Cream white (Cream) (Repromote)
  • Touch of Red  - Bright yellow red (Cream)
  • Gold Knot  - Brass gold (Frost)
    
    

  MAC To the Beach Body Oil

  • Seaside - Dirty blush pink with multidimensional sparkle
  • Man Rays - Glowing tan with multidimensional golden shimmer
    

  Suntints SPF 20

  • Sea Mist - Peachy nude with multidimensional pearl
  • Abalone - See through hot pink with no pearl
  • Au Rose - Poppy coral pink with gold pearl
    

  Powerpoint Eye Pencil

  • Handforged - Metallic yellow gold
  • Emerald Sea - Kelly green
  • Blue Stripe - Dark navy

  Pigment

  • Old Gold - High frosted tarnished gold (Frost) (Permanent)
  • Naval Blue - Deep smoky blue (Frost) (Permanent at PRO)

  Brush

  • 167SH Face Blender

  Accessories

  • Gone Sailing Makeup Bag Set
  • Gone Sailing Tote

What do you think of this new collection?  Has anything caught your eye?

Belle xXx

Illamasqua Bank Holiday Sale!

Hey Guys and Dolls!

Love Illamasqua as much as I do? If so, you'll be delighted to hear that they are having a special Bank Holiday Sale on this weekend.

They are running a fantastic value, Get Nailed promotion today in which you can get a selection of stunning Illamasqua nail polishes for just £7.50. Crazy, I know, right?!

The best selling shades on offer are:

Collide
Alarm
Phallic
Lament
Jo'mina
Scarab
Load

Aaaand, if that wasn't enough, the generous folks at Illamasqua are also offering 10% off everything in their online store to celebrate this Bank Holiday!

Use discount voucher code MAYBH to get 10% off your entire order!

Happy Shopping!

Belle

xXx

Violent Lips Sale - HURRY!

Violent Lips are offering an amazing 40% off ALL orders today only!

Get your orders in before May 7th at 12pm and get a massive 40% off your order with voucher discount code:

1YEAR

Happy shopping guys! :D

Well if it's good enough for Kim Kardashian... hehe

Belle xXx

Avon Fav - Luxe Lace Collection

The Luxe Lace by Avon is one of my absolute favourites. Some pieces are even comparable to cult products within much higher priced brands. The collection is influenced by the "luxurious lace" that featured on Autumn/Winter runways and comes in aesthetically-pleasing, limited edition black and pink packaging, with shades designed to create "mysterious" and "alluring" looks.

Avon Luxe Lace True Colour Eyeshadow Quads 

There are two quads in the collection, "Lace Hues" and "Lace Electric", both designed for creating smouldering smoky eyes. The round shadows are slightly domed and the packaging is well-built and sturdy, making the quads look and feel much more expensive than they actually are.

"Lace Hues"

"Lace Hues" contains:

• A very sparkly white gold (seriously sparkly, not just pearl/shimmer)
• A matte pastel pink (quite powdery and "barely there")
• A satin grey green (in real life it's more grey than in my photo)
• A shimmery, multi-faceted navy blue (very pretty if you like blues)

"Lace Electric"

"Lace Electric" contains:

• A satin white (great for inner corners of eyes)
• A mostly matte violet purple but with some tiny bits of glitter
• A black-toned, smoky purple which flashes a slight pink shimmer
• A gorgeous satin grey blue

Swatches of "Lace Hues" on top row and "Lace Electric" on bottom row

My favourite of the quads is "Lace Electric" because I know I would use the shades much more and I just lovethe grey blue that comes in it

The shades within each quad are complementary which takes the guesswork out of choosing colours to wear together. And I find they blend very well. If these are the kinds of colours you think you might wear quite often.

Next up...

Avon Luxe Lace SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pencils 

Avon have really outdone themselves on these gel eyeliner pencils which are as good, if not better than Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eyeliner Pencils. They are extremely creamy and smooth to apply and once they're on, they don't budge at all. Let's just say in the absence of any eye make-up remover at the time, I needed to use a washing-up scourer to remove the swatches from the back of my hand.

There are just two shades in the collection, "black" and "silver". I personally don't have a use for the silver, but black is always an essential.

Again, these gel eyeliner pencils are a bargain considering the Urban Decay equivalents

Avon Luxe Lace SuperShock Mascara 

This fat tube of mascara comes with a super chunky brush designed for volume. 

I do find it volumises very well and makes lashes look fanned out and plentiful, but it's quite difficult to get much of a thickening or lengthening effect.

This mascara gets top marks for holding a curl, essential if you have poker straight lashes like mine and you depend on eyelash curlers. I also find the mascara lasts well and doesn't smudge much.

Avon Luxe Lace Ultra Colour Rich Lipstick 

There are three lipstick shades in the Luxe Lace Collection and I have "Pout". It's such a perfect nude pink colour, with a hint of silver shimmer.

Overall, this is one of my favourite collections from Avon that is excellent quality which I find myself reaching for over and over again.

La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5

"Cicaplast accelerates the skin barrier recovery process with a formula containing:-A mineral complex of copper, zinc, and mangance to promote epidermal barrier recovery. -Madecassoside: to help restore the balance in the epidermis barrier and optimal skin recovery. -Its higher water resistant, antibacterial adhesion texture acts as a protecting barrier. Perfectly absorbed, non sticky and easy to apply. This hydrating and soothing fluid relieves tightness."

When this product was launched in France, the stock, intended to last 6 months, sold out in 2 and La Roche Posay were inundated with requests for more. It has been one of their most successful products to date. Pretty impressive, huh?

Available in parmacies nationwide since February 2012 and priced at 12.50 Euro, it is described as a multi-repairer aimed to tackle epidermal skin leisures (non bleeding) like:

* eczema

* dry/rough patches

* nappy rash

* chapped lips

* itching

* sunburn

* cutaneous dryness

* infant redness

* grazes

* cracks

* heating sensations

* beast feeding (cracked nipples)

A water in oil formula, non greasy, that  gives an instant relief sensation when topically applied with a reconstruction, antibacterial and nourishing effect, it's set to be a 'must have' balm in every household, next to your trusted paracetamol :). It is suitable for adults, children and infants.

Cotains Panthenol 5%, Shea Butter & Glycerine, Madecassoside (medicinal plant derived) - accelerates epidermal repair, Manganese, Parrafin 1% and La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water, and is paraben-free, fragrance-free, lanolin-free and hypoallergenic.

New Lancome Doll Eyes Mascara

I have great experiences with Lancome mascaras. The last Lancome mascara I used was the Hypnose Precious Cells mascara. I love it a lot and when it was time to throw it away I decided to give the new Hypnose Doll Eyes mascara a try.

The packaging, for starters, is beautiful, and this is something I am very much a complete sucker for. 

The conical shape of the wand makes this mascara much easier to apply to corners and the lower lashes, without making a mess. 

The finish is subtle and natural, but awesome.  I love the doe eyed effect that really is quite doll like, or cute at least.  The formula is absolutely not clumpy or thick at all. Instead, it is extending, separating and all round very fluent. My most reached for day time mascara by far. 

Now, for the science bit... ;)

Benefits 

•Volumized, Extended, Lifted lashes

•Wide-Eye Effect

•Flirtatious lash fringe for a bold, curved and clump-free finish

•Precise, separated corner and bottom lashes

Technology 

•New unique cone-shaped brush for an extremely smooth application, perfect for hard-to-reach corner and bottom lashes

•Nylon bristles combined with the exclusive FiberShine^TM formula to sculpt, curl and load every single lash

A new, unique, cone-shaped brush provides an extremely smooth and clean application, precisely defining even your hard-to-reach corners and lower lashes. Combined with the exclusively developed FiberShine^TM formula, it sculpts, curls and loads each lash for the ultimate shiny lash fringe. Lift and thicken every single lash without weighing it down. Push up your lashes for your most flirty, wide open eye look.

Make Up For Ever Face & Body Foundation - Tried and Tested!

I am a big fan of the Make Up For Ever line of cosmetics due to their long lasting formulas, wide range of colours and professional formulations. Their Face and Body foundation is definitely a 'go to' product for me as I use it on just about every shoot I work on.


Make Up For Ever are one of the few lines to carry such a wide range of colours. With a selection of about 4 - 6 shades in your kit from the lightest to the darkest you shouldn't have a problem mixing a base to match anyone that sits in your chair.

The MUFE F&B base probably wont be favoured by those artists that like to work with products that give medium to heavy coverage even though it is buildable but it suits my way of working and is a kit staple and pro favourite for many.

Rather than covering up the skin I prefer to work with a lighter weight foundation that enhances the natural beauty of the model by just evening out the skin tone which Face and Body is perfect for. Even if I am working with someone with a blemish or two I prefer to use the MUFE F&B and just conceal with a cover up where needed.

The MUFE F&B has an unusual texture straight from the bottle as it is comes in a gel, emulsion formula which needs to be really shaken up to get the silky texture you need for a flawless application. After shaking well I find I get a nice finish by applying the F&B with a regular flat foundation brush roughly all over the face and I follow that by buffing it into the skin with circular motions using a dual fibre brush. You get a subtle dewy finish with this product which I like to combine with a dual finish powder to matt the t-zone and give slightly more coverage in that area.

As the product is transfer resistant and waterproof it is perfect for use on the body in all kinds of situations. I find it works wonders for evening out tan lines! You just need to wait for it to dry and remove any excess product with a tissue before dressing the model.

Although the face and body foundation does only give a light buildable coverage it photographs beautifully which is why I rarely feel the need to reach for another base. The moisturising properties make this foundation very forgiving on those with dry skin and I find it to be a real hit with brides. The natural looking dewy finish is silky to the touch and leaves skin feeling like it can breath which is prefect for bridal, particularly if you work with those who wear little or no makeup day to day.

This is my Holy Grail foundation for my dry skin, it's so light and dewy, it really is like your own skin, just better!

As you can see, I have nothing but raves for this wonder product.

Have you tried this yet? If so, let me know what you think, I love getting feedback.

Lime Crime Lipstick Guide

Not sure which Lime Crime Lipstick will suit you best? Confused by the dazzling array of colours and want to make you pick the right shade for you and your skin tone? 

Then check out this handy Lime Crime Visual Guide with hints and tips to ensure you find the perfect lipstick to suit you and your personality :)

Lime Crime Lipstick Guide

Belle

xXx

Inglot Blush Palette - Photos & Swatches!

Inglot is a fairly new cosmetics company to Ireland, however, it originates from Poland and has been in production since the mid 1980's so they're far from new when it comes to the world of makeup. They are now well established in over 160 countries worldwide and they are fast becoming a YouTubers and Bloggers favourite.


I picked up this 4 pan blush palette recently and I'm in love with it completely! I picked this out from their "Freedom System".

One of the most unique things about Inglot is their ‘Freedom System’ which basically leaves you free to mix and match so many different products and put them into your choice of palette.  You can choose from eyeshadows (round or square – 158 different shades), face powders (20 shades), blushers (24), eyebrow powders (10) and waxes (5), lipsticks (90) and concealers (19).  There are all different types of palettes starting with 2 eyeshadows working all the way up to a palette that can fit 30 eyeshadows or a combination or eyeshadows, face powders and blushers and you can get them with mirrors and space for a brush or with a slide-off magnetic lid…so much choice!  The great thing about them is the price includes the empty palette…which is brilliant considering an empty MAC Pro pallete alone costs €16.50!  


Inglot Freedom System Blush Palette, Shades L-R 35, 34, 29 and 58

Shades 34 and 35

Shades 58 and 29

Swatches:

L-R Shade 35, 34, 29, 58

When choosing the blushers I wanted I just chose the ones that I liked the look of the most as I hadn't even planned on getting any at all. I did however make a conscious decision to get two shimmer and two matte shades though.

All four of the blushers are extremely buttery soft, they have to be among the softest ones I have ever used plus the pigmentation of them is absolutely flawless even the lighter shades. I thought I would just say a bit about each shade below...

Shade 35 - A pale pinky champagne colour with silver glitter flecks - I like the colour of this one but find the flecks of glitter to be a little too big and disco ball like although a little tap of the brush knocks most of these off and it leaves a lovely little shimmer behind.

Shade 34 - A pinky peach colour with gold glitter flecks - This colour for me is much more wearable and gives a lovely little flush of colour that has a nice gold sheen when it hits the light. The flecks in this one are much finer than shade 35.

Shade 29 - A matte peach - I love this one! It's my favourite out of all the four and looks great whether I have been hitting the fake tan or being all pale and interesting. The pigmentation of this is amazing, you just need to dab or lightly sweep your brush over it and that is more than enough.

Shade 58 - A matte berry - I have wanted a berry shade for a while and this is my first one. I really like it although I haven't had much wear out of it yet, I am sure I will. The pigmentation of this one is exactly the same as shade 29 with just the lightest touch being needed to apply it.

Overall I am really impressed with these and I am already planning on getting another palette or two but for now I really want to get some of their eyeshadows so if you have used them before please leave me your recommendations below.

Do you use Inglot products? What are your favourites?

Belle xXx