My First Mac Palette.

Buying a Mac palette wasn't a spontaneous decision. It's hard to be spontanous when the smallest four pan palette costs no less than £45. But I had some birthday money, and I was planning on buying two separate eye shadows anyway. I decided to spend the extra £20 and treat myself.

I already had my eye on the shades 'Cranberry' and 'Amber Lights.' Cranberry is a shimmery, burgundy shade, perfect for Autumn and Winter, although I think it will be lovely all year round for a night time look. I like to wear it through my crease rather than all over my lid. I think sometimes a red shade all over the lid can make it look like you have sore eyes. However, using a darker shade through the crease counteracts this, and simply makes it a red toned smokey eye. 

Amber Lights is a gold, shimmery shade and I bought it after hearing Zoella say it was really nice with blue eyes. This is one of those shades that pretty all over the lid all year round. I haven't had that much of a play with it yet, but I can't wait til the weather starts getting warmer as it would look so pretty with a bronzed/ tan look. I actually have a lot of eye shadows this shade and think it's easily dupable, so maybe I'll do a post in the future about that. 

The next shade I chose was 'Naked Lunch.' This is not the most exciting shade in the palette, but I wanted to create a palette that I could simply throw into a makeup bag to create a full eye look, rather than having to use two or three different palettes. Naked Lunch is a shimmery, white colour, that has a champagne tint to it. I like to use it as a base colour, or a highlight on my brow bone and the inner corner of my eye. I don't like this as much as I thought I would, and wish I'd picked a more matte white/ cream shade. However, this shade is a favourite with beauty bloggers, so hopefully when the summer comes, I'll use it more and understand why it's so hyped. 

The last shade I picked was a tough choice, as there were about three I liked that were very similar. I originally wanted 'Woodwinked' then 'Twinks.' But I eventually went for 'Mulch.' Mulch is a brown shade, with slight shimmer in it. It's perfect for a smokey eye or to build the crease shade up. 

So do I think my palette is worth the money? In all honestly, yes. I love the quality of the shadows and love that the palette is unique to my tastes. However, almost £50 for four shades is a bit extreme. For £65, Mac are doing a 15 eye shadow neutral palette, in either warm or cool tones. Amber Lights is actually in the Warm palette. Or for a few pounds cheaper at £39, Urban Decay do their famous Naked palettes, which contain 12 different shades. 

Maybe for my next birthday. I'll buy another palette with the shades that came close to being chosen. However, with so many beautiful shades from Mac, I've got a feeling that my wish list will never be empty!

Have you got any shadows from Mac? 

Worth The Hype? Bioderma Sebium H20 - Micelle Solution

I'd seen this product floating around the beauty blogging world but wasn't that interested to be honest. It was expensive and hard to get hold of in the UK. However, I spotted it in a pharmacy when I went to Bulgaria and we had some currency left. I decided to purchase it to see what all the fuss was about.

The packaging isn't the prettiest to look at -it's almost clinical with it's clear bottle, blue fluid and white label. But that isn't the important part - the product is.

The one thing I like is that Bioderma have created a micelle solution for all different skin types. I got the combination/ oily version,  but they have other versions for sensitive skin etc.

Bioderma claims to remove impurities from the skin such as makeup and sebum. It recommends to use it twice daily, however I only use it in the evening. To be honest, I just see this as a glorified makeup remover. I have used other Micellar solutions in the past such as the Garnier one and I think they do just as good as job for a lesser price.

The Bioderma one does have it's perks, such as the smell (it smells incredible) and it doesn't sting or leave my skin feeling tight like other products do. It also doesn't irritate my eyes.

So would I purchase it again? Although Micelle solutions have become permanent in my skin care routine, sadly, this one didn't wow me enough to become a holy grail product. I'd much rather save money and go for the cheaper version that does the same job. However, I go to Paris in July, and if I spot it in a pharmacy for a good price, I could be persuaded to buy it again.

If you're interested in this product, it's currently on offer at Escentuals for a 1/3 off.

My Top Five Blushers

I never used to be that interested in blush, thinking it was just something old ladies wore. This was probably because my first experiences with blush came from a Miss Sporty one that I got when I subscribed to Bliss Magazine. It was way too bright for my face and made me look like a clown. Fast forward a few years (like 10!), the correct tools (a Real Techniques Blush Brush) and a lot more knowledge about what suits my pale skin tone, I have built up quite a collection of blushers. Here are my top five:

The most recent addition to my blush collection is the Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot Box O Blushes. Don't worry, It contains six Benefit blushers, but my favourite, and the one I go for the most, is Rockateur. 

Another recent addition in my Stila Convertible Colour in Tulip. This is both a lip and cheek cream and it looks so scary in the pan, but applies really pretty. I love wearing this with a berry lip and lasts all day. I apply it with my Expert Face brush. 

Another cream blush I wear quite a lot is my Bourjois one in the shade 03. This creates a nice, rosy, matte effect on the cheeks. This seems to last all day, unlike normal powder blushes that need to be reapplied frequently. 

This was such an obvious choice and in every beauty bloggers stash. Nars Orgasm is a rose gold colour with gold flecks running through it. It creates a nice highlight on the cheek, however, I don't think I would repurchase this as I have a Sleek blush which is almost identical. 

Lastly is probably my favourite blush, however I didn't like it when I bought it. It didn't seem to show up on my skin, but then I discovered that that's the beauty of it. It's so subtle and perfect for all year round, even though it's 'coral.' I've nearly hit pan on it and will definitely repurchase this. 

What are your favourite blushes? 

Worth the Hype? It's Potent! Benefit Eye Cream

I feel like I'm much too young to notice a great difference when it comes to using eye creams or not. My dark circles only seem to fade when I've had a good night sleep, and I know eye creams are supposed to prevent fine lines, rather than cure them. But at twenty two, I've hopefully got a good few years before my skin starts aging.

So why do I use them? Well, obviously for the preventative factor like mentioned before. But I also find it extremely refreshing to apply eye cream after a long day and soothe my tired eyes.

I'd heard such good things about the Benefit eye cream, 'It's Potent!' Despite it's rather bizarre name, I was curious to try it. A few weeks ago I bought the skin care sample set from a Benefit counter. I think it cost £14.50 and you're supposed to get anything from a week to a months worth of product, depending on how much you use.

I love the packaging of this product and imagine it would look lovely full sized on anyone's dressing table. But it is the product that is the most important thing, right?

I guess I should mention that I seem to have quite sensitive eyes. I used to have problems with them when I was younger, and anything too strong stings to the point where it's almost painful (Soap & Glory Puffy Eye Gel, I'm looking at you.)

The first time I applied It's Potent, I noticed a light stinging, but it went away fairly fast. The next few times, it didn't bother me at all. However, after about a week, my eyes would suddenly start streaming about fifteen mins after using the cream.

This happened about three days in a row, so I decided to stop using it altogether. Because of this, I didn't notice any benefits of using the cream.

Maybe I have really sensitive eyes. Maybe It's Potent is harsher than other products. I just know, for me, it was definitely not worth the hype.

Have you used this eye cream before? What did you think?

Small MAC Haul

After the negativity of the last post, I think I should mention one fun thing I got up to in London and that was visiting the MAC counter in Selfridges. You can't really haul Mac because of the steep prices. I only have five items and they came near to £60 (and one was a freebie), but nonetheless, I thought you'd like to see what I've been buying.

The first three items, I didn't actually buy as they were a Valentines gift from my boyfriend. I asked for the new Miley Cyrus Viva Glam lipstick. I adore Miley Cyrus, but love the shade of this lipstick even more. This is a hot pink shade which looks quite scary in the tube, but I actually think this is quite wearable. Like all other Mac lipsticks, it is creamy, long lasting and has that delicious vanilla scent.

Velvet Teddy is on everyone's wish list at the moment. A matte, nude shade, it's perfect for that nineties pout that's on trend at the moment. I was going to buy this for myself but my boyfriend insisted on buying it for me as well (yes, I'm getting married to this person!) At first I thought the shade didn't suit me; it appears a little bit browner than Brave, which is my perfect nude. However, with a little help from some lip liner (Rimmel's East End Snob), I again found this extremely wearable. As it's matte, it's a little drying, but not to the point of discomfort.

I got sent a free sample of the Mac False Lash Effect mascara. I've not really had a play with it yet, but it was a nice little freebie to be included in my order.

I'm planning on doing my own makeup for the wedding, so the purchases made at the Selfridges counter were made with that in mind. My lipstick will be Ruby Woo, so I decided to buy a lip liner in the shade 'Cherry' to help prolong my lipstick and also create that perfect cupids bow. It will also give me the chance to try out a Mac lip liner and decided whether it's worth getting any more.

My last purchase was fueled by my curiosity over the Paint Pots. I'm slowly starting to get into cream eye shadows as they're quick and don't tend to need a primer. I was stuck between Painterly and Soft Ochre but went for Painterly as it's closer to my skin tone. I've only had this since Tuesday, but I've worn it every day since. I'm obsessed! I'll probably write a more in depth review in a few weeks, but this is definitely one of my most recent favourite purchases.

Even though a good amount of money has been spent, there's still so much I'm lusting after from Mac. My collection is steadily growing from the 'My First Mac Purchases' post I wrote back in August.

Have you bought anything from Mac lately?

#BloggersLoveLFW Gossip Girl Dinner Party - What Happened?

If you've been on twitter in the past 24 hours, I'm sure you've all read what a complete disaster the Bloggerslvhub LFW Dinner Party was. I was debating whether to write this post or not as I usually hate writing a fully negative review, however, I think the whole event was completely unacceptable.

Shall I start from the beginning? I first heard about this event way back in December and it sounded so good. The theme was Gossip Girl, there would be a gifting lounge with nearly twenty brands, plus a three course meal with drinks. Yes, it cost £28, but I had never been to an event in London before, and considering my parents spent around £15 on a coke and gin and tonic when they went last to London, I thought £28 sounded about right for a three course meal.

Maybe I was naive in thinking this and there's been a lot of debate on twitter about whether bloggers are being exploited and whether they should pay for events. But I've paid for food at events before, whether this was a contribution to a buffet, or eating at the restaurant where our event was held. I didn't mind paying that much; as far as I'm concerned I was simply paying for a meal, with the bonus of being able to meet other bloggers and brands.

So where did it go wrong?

I first felt a little uneasy after not receiving a confirmation email right away. The only thing I had was my Paypal receipt to prove that I had paid. Plus, I had bought 2 tickets, one for me and my sister, and there seemed to be no acknowledgement of this. I had to tweet them to find out that she would be on a list as a plus 1. It seemed a lot of other people had issues with the lack of communication, some not receiving emails others had.

I can't remember what annoyed me next, whether it was the first change of menu or finding out that some people were going to be attending the gifting lounge without actually paying. Yes, that's right. Whilst the rest of us had to pay £28 for what was now a 'self serving buffet style dinner... including Oriental, Mediterranean, and Italian cuisine,' others were able to attend without paying a single penny. Of course, they weren't invited to the dinner party, but the main event was open to anyone.

A few weeks passed, and we received a third email, informing us that the menu was changing yet again.

'Unfortunately the catering company that was originally booked, has had to cancel with us last minute.
I've been able to arrange an alternative caterer who can provide us with gourmet, wood fire oven pizzas. To accompany that there will still be a variety of self serve options for your starter and dessert to choose from, plus drinks as originally planned.'

However, to say sorry, we would receive a VIP gifting card, making us priority in the gifting lounge. 

So shall we get to the actual event? 

We arrived just on time, after getting lost to find the venue. It was hidden away and not really clearly signed, but maybe that was just me being new to the area. There was a woman at the door who took our names and told us what table we'd be on. She said straight away that they weren't ready to start the meal yet, so have a look around. 

On the right, there was a huge table full of bottles of drink, however we weren't offered one, and I'm not cheeky enough to ask if we could get one. 

The venue itself was smaller than what I thought it would be. It did remind me a bit of the gallery in Gossip Girl, as it was all white and brick walls, however I think a nice cocktail bar would have been fitting. 

Inside, it just felt very awkward. There was no music playing, no one really mingling and some brands were still setting up. I wanted a host or someone to jump in and get us all chatting but it didn't happen. I'd say there were about ten different brands, a lot less than the twenty that were suppose to be coming. Don't get me wrong, every one we spoke to was lovely, and we received a yummy collagen drink. However, none of the brands were giving things out just yet as the gifting lounge wasn't suppose to start until 6. 

Bloggerslvehub made it very clear that not everyone would receive a gift as there wouldn't be enough to go around and I completely understand that, but the dinner party guests receiving priority went completely out the window. 

We were told to queue for dinner about half past five, but that was just another disaster. At this point I started to feel sorry for the organisers. Basically, the company who made the pizzas had delivered them without writing any names on the boxes, or even writing down what they were. This resulted in all the pizzas being opened and passed around, making them go cold. My sister was given the wrong pizza and had to wait another twenty minutes to be given hers. 

I'd say it took around 40 mins for every one to be seated. The chairs were benches (not good for us ladies wearing dresses.) We had plastic cutlery, plastic plates. Plus the 'drinks' we were supposedly getting was actually a jug of water. 

At this point, I think everyone was fuming. The meal was not worth £28 as it was essentially a take out pizza. After we had eaten, we were told to help ourselves to desert, but to be honest, I couldn't be bothered to maneuver off the bench, and the deserts left a lot to be desired. 

After talking to the other bloggers on the table, a few saying that were going to go find a bar, and watching a silent episode of Gossip Girl that was projected onto the wall, we decided to take another look at the gifting lounge. 

Oh my God, you couldn't even move. Considering our meal was late being served, we was late getting back to the lounge and it was completely packed. There must have been some issues with health and safety because there was way too many people for the tiny venue. 

We left about ten minutes after without talking to any of the brands. 

Overall, the whole event was such a disappointment. We had spent over £100 on train tickets, travelling from Grimsby. A further £56 on the event itself, which was two cold pizzas. It was a complete joke and has put me off ever attending a Bloggerslvehub event again. 

 

Cargo Cosmetics - Suited to a Tea Cream Eye Shadow Palette// Review

It's not often the packaging for something sways my decision to buy it, but when I caught my eye on this Cargo Cosmetic's palette in TK Maxx, I knew it was something I had to have before I even saw the shades.

The packaging is made from cardboard and has everything I love on it; pastels, dainty illustrations and cake. The packaging doesn't actually close shut securely, unlike palettes with a magnetic clasp, etc, but this isn't too much of  a problem for me.

This cost me just £9.99 instead of the whopping £30 on feelunique. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have paid the full price for it,  but it does take a lot of thinking and persuading for me to buy anything make up wise that costs more than a tenner.

This palette is unlike anything I've owned before, due to the fact the shadows are all cream. I didn't actually notice this when I bought it and I did consider returning it. However, the shades are were just so pretty and curiosity got the better of me. I don't think I own any cream eyeshadows. I've had my eye on the Maybelline Colour Tattoos for a while, but never got round to trying them.

So what did I think? Honestly, a complete waste of money. I've tried using this about three or four times now, hoping each time I will realise why this palette is £30 full price, But nope. The shadows are really greasy and crease as soon as you apply them. Using a primer does not make any difference whatsoever. I tried setting the shadows with a powder and that made them last a little longer, but not much over an hour.

It's such a shame, because this would be such a lovely palette to own in the product was actually any good. The only pro I can think of, is that I tried using some of the shades as lip and cheek tints and it worked a whole lot better than on my eye lids. However, it's just not practical to carry this around and as you can imagine, it doesn't last that long on the lips either.

Overall, I do not recommend this product. I've seen it pop up in TK Maxx again, and it's just not worth the money. I will probably just use this as some sort of decoration when I move out and get a proper vanity, but until then, it will stay tucked away at the back of my other palettes.