New Makeup - Urban Decay, Dior, Stila and Too Faced

I have been sticking to my makeup low buy and avoiding the dreaded beauty halls on my lunch breaks, so imagine my delight when I got a Debenhams voucher, keeeeeerching! 

I didn't have anything particular in mind that I wanted, but I was really excited to see that the Debenhams in Bromley has an Urban Decay counter. I love Urban Decay but there aren't any counters near me, so it did kind of end up being an Urban Decay 'haul' (I hate that word!)

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer

I'm still finishing up my MAC Pro Longwear Concealer but after hearing some rave reviews I am really excited to try this. I was disappointed by the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, so I hope this Urban Decay one will live up to the hype.

£17.50 Debenhams

Dior Addict Lip Maximiser 

I love, love, love the Dior Addict Lip Glow and had always wanted to try this lip gloss. I'm not usually a lip gloss girl, long hair and lip gloss are not a good match, but I'm intrigued to see if this really does plump my lips.

£23.50 Debehams

Urban Decay Eyeshadows in 'Scratch' and 'Bordello'

I was immediately drawn to the eyeshadows at the Urban Decay counter, as I hadn't actually seen them in person since Urban Decay reformulated and relaunched them. 

These two shades really stood out to me, mainly because they are in the same shade range as the colours in my beloved Naked 3 palette. I will do a Face of the Day post with these, as soon as I've tried them.

£14.00 each Debenhams

As well as my cheeky Debenhams voucher, my sister also happened to me in America and of course she asked me if I wanted anything from the mothership, Sephora.

I decided not to give her the gigantic Sephora list that I keep on my phone and instead restrained myself and requested two things.

Stila Eyes are the Window Shadow Palette in 'Soul'

So I need another neutral eyeshadow palette like I need a hole in the head, but its so pretty! I do love the rose gold case, although photographing mirrored packaging is a bloody nightmare.

£30.00 Cult Beauty

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Out of everything, this is the one thing I have tried and I'm afraid I can't give it the glowing review I wanted. 

Everyone at team Cosmo loves this mascara, they go crazy for it, so I knew I had to try it for myself. My Sister also bought herself a tube and a few days before I used mine, she sent me a text saying she was not impressed because it flaked off her lashes. 

I have been using it for about a week now and have experienced exactly the same problem.  After about 5/6 hours this starts flaking on me and by about 7pm my eyes are looking pretty horrific. I also find applying this mascara a bit of a faff, as it has a tendency to clump my lashes up, so overall not great! I'm going to try and persevere and see it it improves after its dried up a little but I'm not holding my breath :( 

That will teach me to cheat on my beloved Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes!

£19.00 Debenhams

New Years Eve Makeup Inspiration: The Glitter Eyes

My third and final NYE makeup inspiration post and I still haven't finalised my own NYE plans! 

For the last look I had to go with some glitter, but in keeping with my style I have kept it a bit messy/grungy. I do love glitter but the key is to keep the rest of your makeup simple.

Face

Primer & Foundation

MAC Prep & Prime Skin Base & Dior Star Foundation

Same primer and foundation as I have used for all three of my NYE inspiration looks. As we are using glitter, make sure you do your eye makeup first and apply your foundation afterwards. That way you can wipe away any glitter fall out, without having to re-do all your base makeup.

Concealer

Clarins Instant Concealer

Finally, one concealer instead of three! There has been a lot of hype over this concealer recently but today was the first day I have used it, so I will report back once I have given it a thorough test!

Bronzer

MAC Extra Dimension Bronzer in 'Aphrodite's Shell'

As I was using glitter I was very conscious of looking like Dame Edna, so I skipped contour and just used a bit of bronzer on my cheeks and temples.

Blush

MAC Blush in 'The Perfect Cheek'

I wasn't going to wear a blusher but I felt my cheeks needed a little extra something and this blush is perfect for that. Sadly this shade has been discontinued by MAC but for an alternative, Cubic by MAC is very similar or Tarte's Exposed.

Powder

MAC Prep & Prime CC Compact

This isn't my favourite pressed powder but I am just trying to finish it up!

Highlight

Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder in Candlelight

This however is my favourite highlight! A cream highlight would also work really well for this look.

Eyes

Eyebrows

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in 'Soft Brunette' and L'oreal Brow Artist Plumper in 'Dark Brunette'

My usual eyebrow tools. Make sure you keep your brows looking quite natural, as overly drawn eyebrows and glitter can veer into drag queen territory!

Eyeshadow Base

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in 'Layin' Low' and Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in '13'

This look was a bit of an experiment, hence why I ended up using two cream shadows as eyeshadow bases. I used the MAC Paint Pot first as I thought I wanted something a bit thicker as I was working with glitter, but I then decided I wanted something more golden for my base, so added the Aqua Cream on top.

Glitter

MAC Reflects Bronze and Copper Glitter

Its rare that I get to play with my MAC glitters but when I do, I'm reminded why I love them so much. These are actually MAC Pro products so you can't get them from normal counters but you can buy them online or from the MAC Pro store off Carnaby Street. 

Eyeliner

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner and MAC Eye Kohl in 'Teddy'

I love the fine nib of this Stila liquid liner, as it perfect for drawing a more subtle, thin wing. I also used Teddy on my tight line and waterline to really make the eyes 'pop'. If you have blue eyes, try using a brown pencil rather than a black as its less harsh and the brown will emphasise your eye colour more.

Mascara

Tarte Lights Camera Flashes and Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

To balance the glitter, we need mascara and lots of it! You could wear false lashes with this but just remember my drag queen territory warning!

*Top tip for applying glitter. Wet your brush with either your toner, makeup setting spray or even eye drops. This will help the glitter stick to your eyelid much better and creates an almost metallic foil effect*

Lips

Lipliner

MAC Lipliner in Soar

As all the focus is on the eyes, I kept the lips neutral and just filled them in with MAC's Soar lip liner.

I hope you all have a fun New Years Ever, hopefully I have given you some makeup inspiration for the  evening!

Face of the Day with Charlotte Tilbury The Vintage Vamp Eyeshadow Palette

I have rediscovered a lot of my old favourite products this month and have really been enjoying switching up my makeup on a daily basis. Going from a very conservative, corporate company to the Cosmopolitan offices has been a dream come true, not only for me but also for my makeup collection.

Base

Foundation

Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk UV Foundation

I have been loving this foundation. It lasts all day on my skin without feeling or looking heavy, its just flawless skin in a bottle. If you have oilier skin, this will work much better for you than Luminous Silk.

Concealer

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage

Lets not talk makeup expiry dates but I have had this concealer for years and finally finished it today! Is there anything more satisfying than finishing an item of makeup? This concealer is holy grail stuff for me, its industrial strength and will cover anything. I'm going to miss it but I have other concealers which I should use before repurchasing this....

Bronzer

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder

Pretty much the only item I have tried from The Body Shop's makeup range and I am seriously impressed. If you have pale skin you should check out their shade range as they go pretty light. If I had to compare this to a Guerlain bronzer, which is three times the price I couldn't spot the difference.

Blush

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Blush in Natural

And the award for longest blusher name goes to.....

I can't comment on the mood boosting but this is a very pretty colour with shimmer, which acts as a blush and highlight in one. 

Eyes

Eyeshadow Primer

NARS Pro Prime Smudge proof Eyeshadow Base

My favourite eyeshadow primer.

Eyeshadow

Charlotte Tilbury The Vintage Vamp Colour Coded Eyeshadow Palette

I hardly touched this eyeshadow palette in the Summer but now we are back in the colder months I have been reaching for it a lot. These Charlotte Tilbury palettes are expensive but the quality and shades are beautiful, definitely worth the splurge. I would describe The Vintage Vamp palette as wearable purples and the shades are so easy to transition from day to night.

Eyeliner

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

I can vouch for this lasting all day and the fine nib allows you to draw a really precise line, one of the best liquid eyeliners I have tried.

Mascara

Tarte Lights Camera Flashes Mascara and Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Still absolutely loving this mascara combo, on my second tube of Lights, Camera, Flashes now!

Lips

Lipstick

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie

My Revlon Lip Butter obsession has died down in recent years but whenever I use one again I'm reminded of why my obsession began. Berry Smoothie is a really pretty pink, its also really glossy and looks more like a gloss than a lipstick.

Face of the Day with Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in On the Beach

Its only recently that I've noticed how I change my makeup with the seasons. In the Autumn/Winter months I love a red lip, sheer red balm for day and a dark matte red in the evenings. I tend to wear heavier, more grungy eye makeup and in general I just slap a hell of a lot more stuff on my face.

In Spring/Summer the first thing I change is my foundation and I switch to something a lot lighter. My eye makeup also becomes lighter and I opt for more shimmery colours. My lip colour switches from reds to more girly pinks and nudes. Its just funny how you don't realise you are gradually making all these little changes.

Face

Foundation

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Foundation in B30

I love this foundation and in some ways think I do prefer it to my beloved Vitalumiere Aqua. I like to wear this in the evenings, as although it feels really light on the skin, it actually has quite a good medium coverage. 

Concealer

Estee Lauder Double Wear Brush on Glow BB Highlighter in 2W

I really am starting to get paranoid about my dark under eye circles! If you have any good under eye concealer recommendations let me know!

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC3

Industrial strength concealer for spots and redness.

Bronzer

Chanel Moisturising Bronzing Powder in 62 Terre Epice

I haven't been loving this lately, its just a bit too dark and a bit too orange toned for my pale skin right now. The bronzer from the MAC Alluring Aquatic collection on the other hand, beautiful and natural looking.

Highlighter

Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder in Candlelight

Will I ever get bored of this? Nope!

Eyes

Eyebrows

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette and Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Another combination I will never tire of.

Eyeshadow

Estee Lauder Pure Colour Stay on Shadow Paint in Pink Zinc

I'm unsure about these cream eyeshadows by Estee Lauder. I love the colour of Pink Zinc, but I'm not a fan of the mousse like consistency and find it takes a bit of work to get the colour even. I wouldn't buy any more of these, but its a pretty shade to slap on when you are in a hurry.

Eyeliner

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

I went to town and did a teeny tiny winged eyeliner, go me! I do love this Stila eyeliner for its fine nib but I think it might be a little too fine, as the tip of mine is already breaking down and going all fuzzy :(

Mascara

MAC Opulash Mascara

Still loving this at the moment, mainly for its amazing lasting power and zero smudginess!

Lips

Lip Crayon

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in On the Beach

I haven't worn this since last year and forgot what a pretty light pink/coral shade it was. These lip crayons by Bourjois feel really nice on the lips and leave a slightly glossy finish, without feeling sticky. They are currently on offer in Boots at the moment for £6.99 and I highly recommend checking these out instore.

Face of the Day with Stila Eyeshadow Trio in Goddess

This was one of those days where you just play around with your makeup. I didn't really know what look I was going for but it was fun digging out a few products that I hadn't used in a while. 

Face

Foundation

L'oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder

I have used this foundation consistently all month long and its nearly finished! One of my favourites, as its so lightweight and doesn't feel or look heavy on your skin. I would highly recommend this.

Concealer

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

I don't like to use this under my eyes but it works a treat on blemishes and areas of redness.

MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter in Light Boost

Possibly my favourite under eye brightener. I also use this down the centre of my nose and in the middle of my forehead to brighten up my skin and add a highlight.

Powder

Soap and Glory One Heck Of A Blot

I have finally, finally finished my Rimmel Stay Matte powder. Instead of buying it again, I thought I would try this Soap and Glory one instead. I like it so far but I don't know if its as good at controlling oil. I will use this a bit more before reporting back!

Bronzer

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder in 00 Makeup Artist

My current go to bronzer as its quite a light colour, perfect for the Winter months.

Blush

Kevyn Aucoin The Creamy Glow in Pravella

A beautiful pink blush, perfect for upcoming Spring.

MAC Harmony Blush

Two blushes is a bit excessive I know, but I wanted to add a bit more of a contour so I used Harmony in the hollows of my cheeks and around the temples.

Highlighter

Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight

I love this highlighter because it gives a beautiful but natural glow.

Eyes

Eyebrows

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

My favourite, the brush on the end is so helpful I use it every single time I do my brows.

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

I don't know why I even bother listing my eyebrow products in my face of the day posts because I use the same two products every time!

Eyeshadow

Stila Eyeshadow Trio in Goddess

I've had this trio for a while but dug it out my makeup collection as its been neglected. You can probably tell from the picture that I mainly use the light copper colour on the end. I used this colour over my whole lid and as per usual, right the way under my lower lash line.

Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Camel

I was only going to use the Stila trio for this look but I felt it was missing something, so I added the Camel colour to my crease and underneath the lower lash line. This added some definition, as the Stila colour is very shimmery.

Mascara

L'oreal Voluminous Mascara

Such a good budget buy mascara, adds volume but with no clumping.

Lips

Lipstick

Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet

I have dug out my Hole albums recently so was channelling my inner Courtney Love here. I wanted a deep but sheer, red lipstick and Red Velvet is perfect for that. Problem is now I really want red velvet cake!

Pixiwoo Katy Perry Who You Love Makeup Tutorial

My YouTube addiction is no secret, I could and do spend hours procrastinating watching videos. Even now I should be writing this blog post but I'm watching a Nirvana MTV Unplugged playlist instead! Beauty videos are my kryptonite though and I love it when a new one comes up in my subscription box.

The Pixiwoo sisters have been my favourite YouTubers for a long time and when Nic uploaded her Katy Perry tutorial the other week, I loved it so much I just had to recreate it.

I didn't use the exact same products but after watching Nic's video I did buy MAC's Layin' Low Paintpot and Laura Mercier's Plumberry lip liner. 

Face

Foundation

MAC Studio Fix Fluid

I am not the biggest fan of Studio Fix Fluid but when your skin looks like crap this covers it all.

Concealer

MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter in Light Boost

I use this in the centre of my face to highlight and brighten.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

Love this concealer for covering blemishes/redness.

Bronzer

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder in Makeup Artist 00

My current go to bronzer, if you cant tell already by the massive hole in it!

Blush

MAC Harmony Blusher

My MAC blush palette is one of my most neglected items of makeup. I love having my eyeshadows in a palette but not my blushers, I just end up forgetting I have them! I am so happy this tutorial made me dig out Harmony again as I had forgotten how much I love this colour. The perfect, pinky/brown natural 90's colour (I love 90's makeup!)

Highlighter

Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight

I'm not sure if Nic used a highlighter in the tutorial but my obsession with this highlighter isn't going anytime soon!

Eyes

Base

MAC Paintpot in Layin' Low

Back in the day, when my MAC obsession was a little out of control I was obsessed with Paintpots and had pretty much every colour MAC made! Layin' Low is the first Paintpot I have bought in a long time but its a good colour for me, a light tan which you can slap all over your lids for a bit of definition when you're feeling too lazy to do much else. Although Nic didn't put any colour on the bottom lash line, I just cant resist so I smudged this quite far underneath my eyes as well.

Eyeshadow

Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Paint in Rich Russet

In the tutorial Nic applied this over the top of Layin' Low by patting it on her with her finger. I love this technique as it gives a much more subtle effect and gives your lids almost a glossy sheen.

MAC Harmony Blush

Nic used a tiny bit of the blush though her crease for added definition. I used a little bit more and smudged it underneath my lower lash line because I like to pretend I'm Courtney Love when I apply my makeup!

Eyeliner

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

The eyeliner really was the key to this look, I kept things a little more subtle by applying a thin line and flick with my Stila liquid liner first.

Louise Young Essential Eyeshadow Palette

I then smoked my liner out by smudging the black eyeshadow from my Louise Young palette all over with my MAC 263 brush. I love how this looks, the eyeshadow really softens the line and gives you some serious come to bed eyes!

Mascara

L'oreal Voluminous Mascara

I have been loving this mascara lately, gives lots of volume but with no clumpiness.

Eyebrows

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

The usual.

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Standard.

Lips

Lipliner

Laura Mercer Plumberry Lip Liner

Like Harmony, this is a perfect pinky/brown natural colour. I have worn this quite a lot recently as a colour all over my lips, then I just put a bit of lipbalm over the top.

I'm now currently trying to talk myself out of buying the Tom Ford Cocoa Mirage Eyeshadow palette after Sam's amazing Emma Willis tutorial , damn you YouTube!

Face of the Day with Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 210 Unapologetic

I have been sitting here debating whether to put a 'u' in Colorburst, it just doesn't look right but as Revlon went to the trouble of trade marking it, Colorburst it is!

As much as I love a matte lip, I wasn't overly excited about these new Revlon balms. Sometimes I get caught up in the beauty hype, other times I get a bit tired of it all but when I was in Boots I swatched this colour on my hand and it was so beautiful I caved!

I chose the shade "Unapologetic"which is a bright pinky red colour, out of all the shades this is the only one that really stood out to me. I just love the colour and its cool to see bright, matte shades like this available on the highstreet.

The balms are matte but don't feel overly drying and have a pleasant minty scent. I would wholeheartedly recommend trying this shade.

Face

Foundation

NARS Sheer Glow in Fiji

I have been loving this foundation, full review here

Concealer

MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter in Light Boost

Perfect for brightening under the eyes and the centre of your face.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

Whilst i love my MAC Highlighter, its no good for blemishes. Lasting Perfection is one of the best concealers for redness and spot cover ups!

Bronzer

Givenchy Terracotta Moisturising Bronzer in 00 Makeup Artist

Adds just the right amount of warmth to my face without being orange.

Powder

Ben Nye Luxury Loose Powder in Banana

I will have a full review of this powder on the blog this week so will save my thoughts for then!

Highlighter

Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder in Candelight

Simply the best natural looking highlight, I would seriously struggle to use any other highlighter now.

Eyes

Eyeshadow

Bobbi Brown Eyeshadows in Bone and Camel

I have got a lot of use out of my Bobbi Brown palette this month. For this look I used the lightest colour, Bone all over my lid and then used the darkest colour, Camel through my crease. 

Eyeliner

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Intense Black

This eyeliner is amazing for creating a really subtle flick, which is a look I have been loving lately, plus it doesn't budge!

Mascara

MAC Extended Play Lash Mascara

I didn't want loads of volume from my mascara for this look, as its all about the lips so I went for MAC's Extended Play, as its a great lengthening mascara.

Eyebrows

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

My favourite product for filling in my brows

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Another favourite. I love this gel as when you brush your brows up and use this it actually keeps them in place, all day.

Lips

Lip colour

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 210 Unapologetic

So, I really did not need another lip product but I'm glad I got this #sorrynotsorry (get it?!)