NARS/Christopher Kane Collection

Nars Christopher Kane Collection sees cult beauty meet British fashion. 

As NARS were the brand to back the Christopher Kane shows over the past 6 seasons so the collaboration has been highly anticipated by NARS fanatics worldwide. 

The 10 piece collection offers bright summery hues for your eyes, cheeks and lips. This collection named Neoneutral combines neon and nude in opposite shades.


This collection is exclusive to Selfridges until it hits the NARS website on May 15th, and then nationwide from the 1st of June. I'm really pleased to see that unlike some other high end make up brands NARS haven't overpriced these items,I have this gorgeous Starscape blusher on my wish list and its the same price as my staple blusher at just £23.

 The other items are:
Lipgloss in 4 different shades priced at £19 each
Eyeshadow £18
Duo Eyeshadow £25
Highlighting Stick £29

All in the signature black packaging with the NARS logo in a bright pink shade, and of course it has Christoper Kane's logo featured on it too.

xoxo

My Beauty Wishlist/2015

I think we are all guilty of having a beauty wish list, I'm hoping it's not just me! 

I have my eye on a few products that I often hear rave reviews about, luckily for me, and much to my boyfriends happiness I don't live anywhere near a Space NK, which is where I'll be picking up my first 2 items....

Kevin Aucoin's Skin Enhancer is said to be amazing, and although it comes in at around £40 for a tiny 18g of product a little is said to go a very long way. This is meant to be a real multitasking product and I must get my hands on this soon. The colour spectrum is quite broad so I wouldn't risk buying on line. 

 

Nars Blush 'Deep Throat' Is my lust have shade for the summer, I adore my Orgasm one and I use it everyday! These retail at £22 and they last ages I've had mine a good 7 months and I'm only just hitting the pan.

Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer is very luxury, with a £52 price tag it makes me wince a little and I know I'd be really annoyed if it was rubbish! Hourglass products always tend to live up to the expectation but this has been on my list for a little while now. 

 

Urban Decay's Naked Pallette is almost a cult product these days, there has been three released in total but I personally think I would like the original one. This was on my Christmas list and its now on my beauty wish list. I think £37 is quite pricey for the palette but it's a staple that would last you forever.

 Anastasia Beverley Hills Dipbrow Pomade
It's taken Instagram by storm this past couple of months and at £15 I was actually quite surprised by the small price tag for what seems to be such a popular product. I do like to darken my brows for a night out so I would like to add this to my collection.

Too Faced Sweetheart Blush is almost too pretty to use, at £24 this is really good value for money as it'll last forever. I adore the combo of the blush highlight and contour in one palette if you use individually or swirl them all together the colours are so complimentary to each other.








I'm going to feature these wish lists more often on the blog this year, maybe as I tick items off the list I'll do an updated version.

Have you tried any of these products? 

xXx

Wish List/The Spring Edit

I know I've added loads to my make up collection lately, but no matter how much new make up, nothing will ever stop a girl wanting more! 

This is my spring wish list, some more practical than others, however I still NEED all of them.

Top Left: NARS Albatross Blush/Highlighter, this is a really gorgeous multi purpose highlighter retails at £22.50

Top Right:  Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Riviera, orange lips are going to be HUGE this summer, and I tried this little beauty out in Space NK the other day, retails at £23 

Bottom Left: MAC Skinfinish in Perfect Topping, a beautiful swirly pallette of  pinkness, perfect for highlighting and creating a dewy effect £22. 

Bottom Right: NARS Creamy Concealer in Custard, bloggers rave about this and it's meant to live up to the hype, a creamy concealer packed with skincare goodness. Retails at £22. 

There are so many trends up and coming for this spring season, what's on your wish list? 

 

xXx

Clarins Opalescence Spring Collection/Vibrant Light Eye Quartet

If you are looking for an eyeshadow palette that'll provide you with an array of this seasons on trend shades (pastel, silver, orchid, grey) then look no further than Clarins Vibrant Light*, a quad of four beautiful shades, designed to compliment each other, and they can be taken from day to night with the wet/dry formulation, the darker shades and the precision tipped applicator are the perfect eye liner combo.

Clarins always make their products look luxurious, a well known brand that adorns the bathroom shelves and make up bags of women worldwide. 

The gold casing on this palette is no exception, housing the shadows and the applicators inside it's perfect for on the go beauty, especially with it's in lid mirror.
The velvet pouch adds to the real luxury feel of the product, as does the name 'Eye Quartet'

Personally I dont think the shadows have much colour pay off when used dry, however the effect when applied wet is beautiful, it really allows the pigements in the shadows to come through.
Check out the swatches.....


Left is the baby pink shade, it looks almost matte in the palette but it has mild pigmentation and a slight shimmer, it would work well as a highlighter around the eye and under the brow.

2nd shadow from the left is my fave a little disco ball of silver glitter which looks really sparkly and gets even sparklier when wet, would make a fab lash line liner for added wow, perfect for special occasions. 

3rd along is the deep purple orchid shade, you can use this one to smoke out, and also as a darker but not black eye liner around the lash lines, really great effect from this one, and perfect for spring. 

Right shade is the gunmetal grey, you could also use this to line, however if your planning on doing a smokey eye then this would go well in the crease.

Shop now on the Clarins Website this quartet of gorgeousness can be yours for £31.00. 

This palette is limited edition so be sure to grab it quickly, lauched this month as part of the Clarins Opalescence Collection, check out the entire range right here

xXx

*PR Sample

MAC/Osbournes Collection

The secrets out, it's been leaked by Kelly herself, personally I love Sharon and Kelly O, and I'm hoping their fun and quirky styles really come out in the upcoming summer collaboration with the Osbourne ladies. 

Although this picture doesn't give us any idea of the lipstick shade I am excited by the fact it's encased in Kelly's signature shade, lilac, along with her signature of course. 

Sharon treated us to a sneak peak of her shadow quad, it's no where near as cute as the dog she's holding! 

I don't buy pieces from every MAC collection, but this one I have high hopes for and I'm looking forward to it hitting MAC counters here in the UK, which should be around June/July time. 

xXx

Eye Of Horus Mascara

Eye Of Horus has just landed in the UK, an Australian make up brand that's set to rival some of our premium beauty brands.

I really like what this brand are about, they never test on animals, or use any animal hair in their brushes, all the products are paraben free, and contain as many natural ingredients that they can pack in. 

The range of products are all made based on an ancient Egyptian formula, and ingredients , including the ever popular moringa oil, claimed by the gods for its natural beneficial beautifying properties. 

I've been reviewing the Eye Of Horus Mascara this week* and I have to say I really like it, I am always wary of straying away from my trusted brands. 

I will let you judge the results for yourself.....

Top picture shows my lashes natural, and lower picture shows them with 2 coats of EOH Mascara applied. 

Side view, really nice lifting effect to my very straight lashes! 

The mascara is safe for use on even the most sensitive eyes and is rich in natural oils and waxes, it wont sting, clump, or run. The brush is like a little lash comb and is really easy and nice to hold while applying the product.
It comes beautifully packaged in a gift nag, complete with gold wrapping paper inside, the gold logo and ribbon give it a really luxurious feel, great for a gift too.

The only niggle is that for me it's just not quite volumising enough, but I will be using this for my every day mascara its really nice and long lasting, as well as being clump free.

You can get your very own mascara right here at the Eye Of Horus Cosmetics online shop, for just £17.99, check out the other products they have too, some fab bits.

xXx

How Expensive Is Your Face?

Ever look at your make up collection and wonder how much it's worth? 

What about the products you use everyday, your staple face products. 

I thought this would be a really fun post to do, for my 12 hour work/gym face I like to use longer lasting products, and although I use the same products on the weekend I do add in my special higher end products if I'm going out or to a special occasion. I have a hoard of make up (as I'm sure you do too) and it's strange to think of how many of the products we actually use! 

 Here are the products I use everyday.....

Base & Face Products

Benefit Porefessional is IMO the best primer on the market, although the only stinger is the price, but again it does last ages! Really smooths skin and conceals pores providing a great base for make up, as well as combating shine. 

My beloved Estee Lauder Double Wear, is something I wear everyday, it keeps my skin oil free, matte and looking fresh, I wear the shade Fresco, and a bottle of this lasts me a good 5/6 months wearing just one pumps worth everyday. It also has an SPF factor in it, so you know your skins protected every day. 

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer is my newest cosmetic purchase, I've been on the hunt for a decent concealer for a while now, and this stuff works really well. Always apply liquid concealers with a soft brush and buff in for an even finish, I will do a tutorial on this really soon. 

Ben Nye Banana Powder is something I've been using for years, a firm fave of Kim K's make up artist it's great for setting powder without sitting in the fine creases on your face. It locks make up in place all day and the yellow tones really evens out sallow skin tones for a flawless finish. I mix it up with Bare Minerals All Over Face Colour in Warm for a goldeny tone, this really adds a hint of colour to my face and stops me looking pasty! 

My trusty day time blush is my Dior Rosy Glow, one sweep with the little brush in the compact is all you need for a natural pinky rosy glow to the cheeks. It smells like roses and it's barbie esque hue is just stunning. 

Face & Base Costs: 

Benefit Porefessional £24.50 

Estee Lauder Double Wear £28.50

Bare Minerals Warmth Powder £19.00 

Ben Nye Banana Powder £8.00

Dior Rosy Glow Blush £30.50 

Total £110.50

Eye Products

I do keep my eyes pretty simple during the day, as you know I love a smokey eye on a night out, but that would be too much for work. 

Here are my staple eye products that I wear day to day.....

Mascara I tend to stray from one brand to the next but I really love is the new one from Max Factor the Wild Mega Volume, it's a real steal at just £6.99 a tube too, I've just bought my second one, I love the effect it has on my lashes and it holds up well during the work day and then through my gym session. 

Bare Minerals Prime Time in 'Original' is something I have used for years, it's a beautiful golden shimmer that I wear on it's own to work, weekends though it clings onto your eye shadow and makes the colour really pop. I love this stuff and wouldn't be without it. 

My eyebrows don't leave the house without some definition on them, I alternate between the HD Brow Palette and my Christian Eyebrow one, the Christian one has been going strong for about 18 months now, and you can see it still has loads left. 

I also use my Front Cover Cosmetic Baked Peal box everyday, I use the sparkly nude colour as a bottom lash liner and I love it. 

Eye Costs: 

Max Factor Wild Mascara £6.99

Bare Minerals Prime Time £16.00 

Maybelline Smoky Eye Pencil £5.99 

Total £28.98

Lip Products

Last but by no means least are the lip products I use daily, these do change depending on the season bur I alternate between various shades of these products. 

MAC Mineralize Lipstick currently I'm wearing 'Lady At Play' but I have so many different shades I am forever switching it up. 

My YSL Coral Intuitive lippie in shade 15 has also been on my lips alot this past couple of months, I love it and it smells divine, but i cant help but feel it doesn't have much staying power, so I'm going through the stick pretty quickly. It's great for day to day wear though. 

I also wear MAC glosses alot, again I've been wearing loads of different shades this past couple of months, but great for everyday wear. 

Lip Costs: 

MAC Mineralize Lipstick £20 

YSL Rouge Volupte £26 

MAC Gloss £17.50 

Total £63.50

Combining all my products together gives a grand total of £202.98, I'm actually surprised it's not higher to be honest, and although to some of you that may seem a huge amount of money think of the usage you get from the products, I know I couldn't be without these bare essentials! 

How expensive is your face? I'd love to hear your totals! 

xXx

Make Up Storage Part 2

I know I briefly posted my make up storage a few weeks ago, if you missed it catch up right here

 I have had so many questions on it and I have just updated it again this weekend I thought I would share it with you. I don't own as much make up as I used to mainly due to the fact that when I first got my storage I had a major clear out as I only wanted to organise and keep my fave and best products in it. 

I don't wear nail varnish so that saves me a ton of space, meaning I have loads more room for make up. 

Here is my now even bigger (and ever growing) collection.....

The extra 5 drawer unit costs just £24 and its given me 5 extra drawers, they are the perfect depth for mascara and lipglosses.....

I have recently moved things around in our house too, meaning I have my own dressing room now, which allows my Muji & my make up to get the space and attention it deserves! 

Although a gloss black dressing table is firmly on my wish list for when we get our own place, I know this will look good standing proud on a real dresser :)

How do you organise your make up? 

xXx

Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation

I would be very surprised if you hadn't seen this in magazines or in your local drug store. 

Vichy's Dermablend Foundation* £15.50 

It's marketed as a real camouflage make up, so if you suffer from redness, acne, or scarring this may be something you should try. I don't really suffer from any of those issues, but I do have dark circles and I hate my pores, so I was excited to try this out. 

I was a little dubious to stray from my usual double wear foundation and real techniques brush combo but I gave this a go today, and I was actually quite surprised with the results. 

According to the box Dermablend delivers a matte finish, high coverage, a bare skin feel and it has SPF 35 in it! It also provides up to 25% more concentrated pigments than a standard foundation. 

I don't know how Vichy have managed it but the formula is actually very light making it perfect for summer and for those days when you don't want a heavier base, yet it hides everything beautifully! 

My skin is far from perfect but I do really like how this feels on my face, It does give a real bare skin feeling and I think it will be much better to wear during the day at work and then when I hit the gym, it also means I can save my Double Wear for nights out and special occasions!

The above picture is just the Vichy on myface, no primer or concealer, I can only imagine it'll give a real matte and airbrushed finish with my Benefit Porefessional and Fake Up involved. A lot of people say when using this foundation they can skip the concealer, personally I feel naked without a tad under my eyes, but that really is down to personal preference.

Just got to hope it doesn't make me break out although it is specifically designed not to irritate the skin so here's to hoping I have found a new fave in the muji full of face perfecting goodness.

Have you tried Vichy's Dermablend, or are you and avid fan?

Pop into your local Boots now to check out the range for yourself, Dermablend is also available in a stick formula which retails at £19, or order online at Boots.com

xXx

MAC Tropical Taboo Collection & Swatches

I used to be a total slave to MAC but in recent times day to day I don't use all their products any more.

I do like a good collection though, always promising some best sellers and usually quite quirky and one off items, and although I don't find all of this collection appealing I am very happy to share my personal loves. 

I picked up three items from the new Tropical Taboo Collection

Mineralize Blush 'Simmer' £20
This pearl effect finish blends a deep rose into a beautiful nude shimmer, and it's so buildable, loving this for my day time blush at the moment and this look was created with just one sweep of my blush brush.

Mineralize Rich Lipstick 'Lady At Play' £20
 This high intensity and mineral packed stick of goodness really is my new fave lippy, it screams summer. This is another instant tooth whitener, so your pearly whites will look fab next to this gorgeous coral hue.

Mineralize Skinfinish 'Adored' £22
A luxurious velvet-soft powder with high-frost metallic finish.
This shade is a gorgeous peachy/coral shade blended into a muted nude.
Perfectly blendable ad makes adding highlights to cheeks, brows, anywhere on the body a piece of cake!


Have you added any of the new MAC collection to your make up bag?

xXx

Eco Tools Fresh & Flawless Complexion Set

EcoTools Fresh & Flawless Complexion Set is beautifully presented in a booklet style case.

Each brush is super cute and decorated in a beautiful bright girly pattern, these are too nice to hide away in the storage box, although you might want to keep it handy for all the application tips.

(from left) Flat Concealer Brush, Buffing Concealer Brush, Precision Foundation Brush,
Complexion Blending Brush, Full Powder Brush

The cute leafy, girly designs are gorgeous!

In true EcoTools style these brushes are cruelty free, and will last a long time. 

I am so into my make up brushes and I truly believe that good make up is down to the tools!

They give a real flawless finish and they fit in even the smallest make up bag, so there's no need to leave home with out them. You have 2 concealer brushes, 2 complexion brushes and a blush brush, so you have enough to do a full face, flawlessly. 

I would say these brushes would be better suited to someone just starting out with a brush collection, or for beauty gals on a budget, and although I could use them whilst on holiday they wouldn't be my first choice at home, I like my full size brushes.

If you want to treat yourself to a set head over to Cute Cosmetics and order them online. 

Which make up brushes cant you live without? 

xXx