Sugarpill's 'Darling' Loose Eyeshadow Liner

I bought this Sugarpill eyeshadow around a year ago, and I never got round to using it purely because I'm not used to using loose shadows, and I am unsure of how to incorporate it into a look. When I got the mixing medium from MAC, however, I knew immediately what I had to do! For a first attempt I feel as though I tackled this quite well- it does take a while to achieve the right consistency- but I absolutely love the metallic sheen to this gorgeous multidimensional teal, and I can't wait to see what else I can come up with using either product!

Rich Ground in my brows, Painterly and Groundwork on the lid and in the crease, MAC 48 lashes.

MAC Lipstick In 'Up The Amp'

I told myself that I would stop buying lipstick, but then I saw six MAC empties sat around waiting to be exchanged! For those who don't know, the Back 2 MAC program is a scheme where if you take six items of empty primary packaging (foundation, brush cleanser, fluidline, paint pots, etc- basically anything that can be refilled) back to your local MAC, you can exchange them for a free lipstick from their permanent range- so no Viva Glam or limited edition lipsticks. It's a great way to collect the lipsticks- I go through brush cleanser like crazy, and if it's a product you would use regardless then it really is worth keeping the empty packaging. I wanted something different- I have been gravitating towards nudes recently, and that's something I'm trying to break away from. I liked the look of Up The Amp, because it's not quite purple or pink- a perfect balance of violet and magenta. I like the amplified lipsticks, as they're nice and glossy without being too sheer. The payoff is definitely better in real life- I need to reinvest in a better camera- but this gives an idea of the payoff, and the finish. This isn't something I would wear every day, but I will definitely get some use out of it!

MAC Toledo Lipstick in 'Tenor Voice'

I always have to grab a limited edition collection lipstick when it's decent packaging- I love the way they look, all pretty together! The Isabel and Ruben Toledo collection is no different- the bullet is a beautiful matte white, with the pattern printed in a shiny texture- this will look so stunning with my others! I really need to get a perspex organiser so I can arrange them on my dresser, but for now they're all sat in a cluster in a drawer. The lipstick itself is matte, but not matte like Ruby Woo- far more moisturising, still doesn't bleed, and doesn't budge at all. I actually applied the lipstick around four hours before the last image, and it looked as fresh as if I had only just put it on! Unbelievable. Let me know if there's any of the collection you're lusting over, or any upcoming collections you're excited about!

Cheltenham Ladies Day: What I'd Wear

So a couple of days ago I was approached with the offer of tickets to Ladies Day at Cheltenham Races on Wednesday 11th March. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend due to university commitments, but I'm going to enter their #colourmemarch competition- I recently bought a couple of new items and am dying to share my new favourite outfit! Let me know what you think, and what you would wear to Ladies' Day!

If you've ever seen more than one of my outfit posts, then you will know that I don't wear coloured clothes- I don't even own any!! So I decided to splash the colour on my face and nails, keeping to a pink theme. 

Outfit:

Coat, Bank

Dress, River Island

Boots, Office

Bag, Love Moschino

Nails:

Barely There and Plush Pink by Leighton Denny

Pink Sapphire by Barry M

Make Up:

Foundation, Studio Fix Fluid in NW10 by MAC

Blush, Dame and Peony Petal by MAC

Brows, Dipdown gel liner by MAC

Eye lid, Pink Gold Colour Tattoo by Maybelline

Crease, ES58 Magenta by Morphe

Liner, unbranded liquid liner

Lashes, 44s by MAC

Lips, Pink Velvet by Lime Crime

Shot in Stevenson Square, Manchester.

Illamasqua Lipstick In 'Virgin'

First off, let me just say that I adore Illamasqua lipsticks- I own Disciple, Apocalips, Pristine, and now Virgin. A girl can never have too many lipsticks! And you will never find the same red in different lipsticks. This might be my new favourite- I love MAC's Ruby Woo and Russian Red, but they don't make my teeth look as white as Virgin does. It's the perfect finish- glossy and hydrating, with the staying power of a matte lipstick, and doesn't highlight dry or chapped patches. I normally stick to the more unusual colours from Illamasqua, but I will definitely be collecting more of the more conventional colours from now on!

Benefit Event at Harvey Nichols

Last Wednesday, Meghan of Skin Deep Beautiful and I were invited to an event held by Benefit Cosmetics, at Harvey Nichols in Manchester. It was a lovely evening of free cupcakes and prosecco in the Personal Shopping department, where we were given the opportunity to have make overs, try out new products, and generally chat to new people and make up artists. The event cost £10, which was redeemable against products after the demonstrations and make overs. First up was the Eyes and Cheeks room- it was in a very strange order- where the artist used Gimme Brow, They're Real! Liner, and Roller Lash on me. Then, I was worked on by a different lady who used Hoola bronzer to contour my cheeks, and gloss on my lips to achieve a natural look. After this, we attended a demonstration on skincare and prepping before make up, then finally we were taken through to a complexion makeover, to demonstrate the foundations, concealers, and primers at Benefit. I'm not really a gloss or bronzer kind of girl, and I have adequate supplies of liners and mascaras, so I decided to focus my purchases mainly on skincare. I bought the Foamingly Clean facial wash, Refined Finish facial polish, It's Potent! eye cream, and the Porefessional primer. I'm so glad that I didn't rush in and buy glosses or liners that I would never use, because I love these products so much! I can't see myself ever living without Porefessional or It's Potent!, and I love the way that the cleansers do what I want them to do, without tightening my skin or leaving it still oily. My face feels so clean when I use these and I'm so glad I've finally found skincare products that work for me!