In Love With Lip Pencils #SoapAndGlory

This is where my lip pencil obsession started, Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Sticks. I got them about a year or so ago and since then I managed to accumulate quite a few lip crayons (especially the Revlon ones). But anyway, not only were these two the first lip pencil products that I got but also my first Soap & Glory makeup. The Gloss Sticks that I got are Nudist (which is a nice beige-y pink with bits of subtle, gold shimmer) and Plum Jam (kind of a cherry pink / plumy pink colour, not really sure how to describe it). Both are sheer and glossy but not sticky. Plum Jam is much more visible on the lips than Nudist and that requires a bit of attention when applying, it's quite easy to draw out of your lip lines. The colour is buildable and it goes on quite smoothly but it needs reapplying every hour or so. They don't dry out my lips, however they are not as highly moisturising as a lot of people say (at least for me they're not). I like that they've got a twist-up mechanism, and the packaging looks really cool. Oh, and they've got a nice vanilla smell to them. They are only £8/each and with constant Boots offers you can get it cheaper in a deal or something. I'm not gonna lie, they are not my favourites but they are my 'firsts' so I still like them a lot.

What's your favourite lip pencil? Could you recommend any? 

xoxo
Natalia

So Many Men, So Little Time...

theBalm, where do I start... I was introduced to this amazing brand via YouTube and blogs, and I remember at that time Frat Boy was used by literally everyone. So I gave into the hype and got these three beauties: Down Boy (baby pink), Cabana Boy (raspberry pink) and of course, Frat Boy (peachy/apricoty pink). And I have to say, they lived up to my quite high expectations and are now my HG blushes actually. They are a little shimmery but very subtle at the same time, and their texture is really smooth and soft. They are also extremely pigmented, you need to apply with a light hand or otherwise you risk overdoing the blush without even realising (yes, it's happened to me). The colour stays on all day and there's no need to reapply, how amazing is that. It blends in very well too. There is so many good things to say about these blushes as you can see. All of them come with a built-in mirror, like most of theBalm products in fact (still, useful). They can also be used as eyeshadows, I've only used them as blushes though. Maybe I'll try them as shadows at some point, you never know. So yeah, I would definitely recommend trying out theBalm products if you haven't already. They are reasonably priced and will last you for a long time, and I almost forgot... The packaging is to die for.

theBalm also came out with a new collection of blushes not so long ago called InStain which I'm really craving by the way. Let me know if you've tried them.

What's your HG blush? Have you had a chance to try any of theBalm ones?

xoxo

Natalia

M Is For MAC Lipstick #Syrup

Yes, I am a MAC lipstick girl and Syrup is one of my all time favourites. I've first seen it in one of the videos on YouTube and it looked so gorgeous on the girl (I can't remember who it was) that I went straight to my local MAC counter and got it. And let me tell you, it was exactly what I was expecting. Syrup is in the Lustre collection which is the one I go for the most. I would describe it as a neutral mauve pink colour, once applied it looks like my lips but better if that makes sense. It's a perfect shade for a neutral, everyday eye look but it works well for both, day and night. The texture of this lipstick is soft and smooth which makes it extremely easy to apply, and the pigmentation is pretty good too. Its got a glossy finish but it's not sticky like a lot of other glossy lip products are. It's also moisturising and doesn't settle into fine lines or dries out my lips throughout the day. However, if your lips are on the dry side like mine you mind need to put lip balm on first just in case. It's fairly long-lasting, I need to re-apply every couple of hours but that doesn't really bother me. The price is reasonable - £15, it's pretty much in-between drugstore and high-end price range. I would definitely recommend this lipstick, especially for this time of year as well.

What's your favourite brand for lipsticks? Have you tried any MAC ones?

xoxo

Natalia

If I Had A Bag Full Of Money...

Since it's payday next week I decided to put together a little wishlist to help me list down a few products that I've been thinking of for the past few weeks. I find it way easier to go shopping knowing what I want rather than just randomly looking for new makeup and ending up with products I don't even use after a week or two. So, here it goes...

1. theBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer - unfortunately it's not out yet, but I've been using (and loving) both, Mary-Lou Manizer and Betty-Lou Manizer for a while now and they are so great. This one is a peachy pink colour and I bet it will be just as brilliant as the other two. Definitely need to get this.

2. Too Faced Candlelight Glow - this must be one of the prettiest highlighters I've ever seen. I've got a couple of Too Faced products and they are great quality, hopefully this one will be added to my makeup bag soon.

3. Bourjois Paris Color Edition 24h Eyeshadows - I've been loving the Maybelline cream shadows for I don't know how long now and I really want to try something new. I've seen the Bourjois shadows on a fair amounts of blogs now and all the reviews were positive so I'm looking forward to trying these.

4. Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Satin Lip Colour in Comedia - I got my first Chanel lipstick for Christmas and I'm obsessed. I'm thinking of getting this shade, it's so nice. I just wish the price tag was a little kinder.

5. Benefit Rockateur - I remember people complaining about the size of this blush before it hit the shelves, but then after trying it out everyone loved it. I've heard so many good things about it that now I want it. Oh well.

6. Rimmel Rockin Curves - I'm really curious about the wand of this mascara. I just got rid of a couple mascaras today, so I have space for a new one now. This one could be a either great or disappointing but I really want to give it a go.

7. Sleek Eau La La Liners - I came across these when I was reading a magazine at work the other day and instantly fell for them, plus I could use a new eyeliner or two. I've not tried many Sleek products so I look forward to trying these.

8. Sigma brushes - this is something I've been dying to get for ages and ages, I keep hearing how brilliant they are and I don't think I can resist them anymore.

What's on your wishlist? Have you tried anything that's on my wishlist?

xoxo

Natalia

Let's Get Naked

The Naked palettes... What can I say, they are hands down the most awesome and amazing eyeshadow palettes, ever. Naked and Naked 2 were around for quite a while but Naked 3 joined the family only a month or so ago, and unlike the first two, the neutral shadows were replaced with pink-toned ones. Absolutely beautiful. These palettes are always the ones I choose from when I pack up my makeup bag for travelling, each contains 12 shades and it's extremely easy to create day and night looks. Also, there is no odd colours in any of them. The price tag might be a little scary, £36/£37 quid is quite a lot for a product but if you think about it, 12 great quality eyeshadows and a makeup brush... Saves money in the long run. The texture of the shadows is smooth and buttery, they blend out really well and are super long-lasting. Plus, Urban Decay is known for their eyeshadow pigmentation, need I say more. If I was to choose only one I would probably go for no 2. This is just a general post about the awesomeness of the Naked palettes as I want to go into a bit more depth with each in separate posts. So yeah, if you're looking for eyeshadows I would definitely recommend these beauties. They're just the best. Nice one, Urban Decay.

Shades (from top & left to right):

Naked: Virgin, Sin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Darkhorse, Toasted, Hustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Naked 2: Foxy, Half Baked, Bootycall, Chopper, Tease, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, Verve, YDK, Busted, Blackout

Naked 3: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit, Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar, Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart

What is your favourite palette? Have you tried any of the Naked ones?

xoxo

Natalia

The Drugstore Mascara Effect

I am a huge fan of the high street mascaras, and although I really want to try out the high end stuff too I just can't bring myself to spend a ridiculous amount of money on something I can get for a 1/3 of the price. And that something is usually a brilliant long-lasting product. Plus, drugstore is quite known for selling good-quality ones. My favourite is definitely Maybelline when it comes to mascaras, I loved pretty much all of the ones I've tried so far from them. Anyways, here is my fantastic five of right now...

Maybelline Falsies used to be my go to mascara at one point, it just makes your lashes look sexy. It curls them a little, lengthens and what's one of the most important factors - it doesn't clump or leave any black marks on your eyelids while applying. However, I do have to apply at least 3 coats to get the best out of it.

Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless is definitely my favourite for bottom lashes. It separates them perfectly and lasts all day without smudging. I'm not so fond of this product on my upper lashes though, the bristles of it are a bit too tiny for my liking.

Maybelline Colossal is my HG mascara, I always go back to it and always keep a spare one at the back of my drawer. It literally makes my eyelashes look bigger. It doesn't smudge or clump and lasts forever, I have it on for over 12 hours when I have long shifts at work and it looks perfectly fine all the way through. Also, you can see the difference after one coat only, and a mascara like that is quite hard to find. I am in love with this one.

L'Oreal Miss Manga is my latest addiction to my makeup bag. I've only been using it for about a week to see what it's like and let me tell you, it's pretty damn good. In the tv advert you can clearly see that the model's lashes are quite clumped, not a good look. But it completely surprised me, the bristles going from tiny to long are a great help for applying it in the inner corners of the eyes as well as bottom lashes. It might just be my replacement for the Lash Accelerator Endless. This mascara is the one to go, especially if you're looking for length.

Maybelline The Rocket is another one of my blasts from the past (well, last year but still). I mostly use it to separate any leftover clumps after finishing with applying mascara. It's the best for that.

Do you prefer high end or drugstore mascaras? What's your favourite?

XOXO

Natalia