Make Up Revolution Radiance Palette

I love Make Up Revolution products, overall as a brand they are affordable, reliable and sell products of a high standard. I have tried many of their different palettes, and particularly love their chocolate bar eyeshadow palettes, but I have been wanting to try this palette for quite some time now and I finally got round to it! 

The Radiance palette is a highlighter palette that consists of three shades; Breathe, Exhale and Glow, all available for purchase individually, but after hearing how great all three shades were, I bought the palette of three and even saved money by doing so. All are fairly pigmented for a palette that only costs £8, but give a natural, lit from within glow that I actually prefer to use as powders over my skin rather than a highlight for my cheekbones, and the darker shade I use to bronze up my skin. They are silky and brightening and I am so impressed this palette that I reach for it everyday. 

This is commonly described as a dupe for, and compared to the the ambient lighting powders from Hourglass, however I have not splurged the money to try out any of them so I cannot personally compare the two, but so many reviews link the two together. The packaging and design is lovely, and the has a big mirror which is always a plus for me! Again, I cannot believe this only costs £8. 

If you are looking for a dupe for the Hourglass products, then definitely give these highlighters a try! 

Physicians Formula - Shimmer Strips Natural Nude

Physicans Formula is a brand I have been wanting to try for quite a while now but unfortunately it is not sold, or widely available in the UK. Amazon have a few products with quite a hefty price tag, and so when my best friend recently visited America, she very kindly bought me an item back. 

The first thing I noticed when I found this brand was the very pretty and photogenic packaging, which is dangerous territory for me when purchasing products, I get drawn in by attractive packaging and products sometimes before necessarily knowing much about the product itself. 

I wanted to try the Shimmer Strips Custom All-in-1 Nude Palette for Face and Eyes. This is a multifunctional, versatile product, which states that it can be used to accentuate cheeks and enhance the eyes. All 12 shades differ in colour and are all beautiful natural colours. The strips are pigmented, and can either be blended together or worn separately; the whole box provides the essentials to a natural face. I use this product as bronzer, highlighter, eyeshadow and it can also be used as eyeliner. The colours aren't too shimmery but still provide a lovely glow, it can also be built up to give a really intense highlight. 

A mirror, appplicators and directions are all compactly fit into the small, pretty packaging. The product doesn't irritate my sensitive skin and it has many purposes, overall a really good, versatile product. 

No Make Up Make Up Necessities

My preferred make up look as of late has been the 'no make up' make up look. Particularly during the summer months when ideally I want to be wearing less on my face, and long and sometimes early hours at work means I don't want to have to keep checking my make up during the day, or that I just want longer in bed, and so a simple and easily achievable look is much more desirable than a full face! 

I've discovered products that help me to achieve this minimal 'no make up' look, and get longer in bed!

After cleaning my face, I will apply a moisturiser, ideally one with an SPF, I like the Garnier Moisture Match Illuminating Lotion, as it adds a subtle glow to my skin but it doesn't feel too heavy once applied. I then apply the body shop primer as it helps my make up stay in place all day, and creates a nice base to apply my foundation over. Additionally, I sometimes use the L'oreal Skin Perfection cream which when squeezed out of the tube is a white colour but applies to the skin with a brown tint, this evens the colouration of my skin. I then bronze up my face with a perfect Soleil Tan De Chanel dupe by W7. This product is much cheaper and blends perfectly. I then comb through my brows, and when I'm in a rush I will skip my full brow routine and apply some of the Maybelline Brow Drama; combing my brows into place as well as adding just a hint of colour to them to make them look a little bit more filled in. 

This is how I achieve my 'no make' make up look for the skin. If I am leaving the house I will almost definitely apply some mascara to make myself look more awake and then I'm set to go! 

Let me know if you have any preferences to products that help to create the perfect 'no make up' make up look!

Until next time, 

Laura Elizabeth xo

Red Lip Winners

Red Lipstick is a shade I take very seriously in my make up collection. It has to be non-drying and long lasting. A bold red lip is such a classic look and sometimes it is difficult to find a shade that flatters your complexion well. This can usually be solved, I find, by finding a specific eye look that compliments that particular shade. These five are the red lipsticks I cannot live without. 

 1) Rouge Edition Velvet in '08 Grand Cru' - Bourjois Paris 

2) Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in '01' - Rimmel London 

3) Colorburst Lip Butter in '035 Candy Apple' - Revlon 

4) Shade '13' -Make Up Academy

5) Ruby Woo - Mac 

   

Left to right - Revlon Lip Butter, Kate Moss Rimmel, Ruby Woo Mac, MUA, Bourjois Rouge Edition. 

Each shade varies in texture, finish and pigmentation. The Revlon lip butter is a lot sheerer than the other shades and is glossier in finish, but it is still a pigmented shade. The Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick is long lasting and non drying with a matte finish, just like Ruby Woo from Mac. The MUA lipstick is also similar in texture to the Mac and Rimmel lipsticks, but I find it is a slightly lighter shade. The Bourjois lipstick is a matte finish but it is different from other matte lipsticks I own. This feels like a mix between a cream and a mousse and although the product dries very quickly it is really soft to apply. It is a deep red/burgundy shade but is also quite sheer and so a few coats are needed, and once applied this product does not move. 

What are your holy grail red lipsticks?

Laura Elizabeth xo 

Dupe: W7 Make Up and Glow Bronzing Base

I'm definitely one for a bargain, who isnt?! Unfortunately, not all make up bargains have been that successful, in my opinion, but this product is definitely a winner! I have been aware of W7 for a long time, but I think they have only just come into their own and really upped their game. They seem to be the copycat brand for beauty products and this dupe attracted my attention as a much cheaper alternative to Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel. 

Just like Soleil Tan De Chanel, this product is cream based, easily blended and lasts for a long time on the skin. Rather than the steep £32 price tag for the Chanel product, the W7 one comes in at just under £5 and in my opinion, you get just as good a product, with the only difference being that you don't get the more fancy Chanel packaging, or the famous Chanel scent. In fact the ingredients are super similar in both products, with the W7 bronzer containing less ingredients, but still giving a matte bronzed look to the skin. 

The creme dries like a powder and doesn't budge all day, it is perfect for matching your face with your body in the summer, but as it is not too orangey on the skin, it can be worn all year round. Another quality this product has in common with the Soleil Tan De Chanel is that it is highly pigmented, so be light handed - a little goes a long way! 

This product is great as a contour or just an all over bronzer, I find it works best with a buffing or stippling brush as I can apply the product with a light hand more easily. It doesn't just stick to the skin like some creme products, it blends out beautifully, and as it is not too orangey I find that it works well with my fair skin tone. 

Overall, a successful dupe from W7. I look forward to what this brand has to come in the future. 

Have you used any W7 products before? 

Laura Elizabeth xo

W7 Eye Palette

In The Buff: Lightly Toasted Natural Nudes palette is just one of four eye palettes from w7 in this collection, the other three being In The Buff, In The Nude and In The Night. What drew me to this collection was the fact that they look very similar to the Naked Palettes from Urban Decay and were so much cheaper in price. I chose the Lightly Toasted palette as it contained shades that I have always worn on my eyes and feel comfortable wearing, as well the fact that I know I can make use of every shade in the palette. 

Each palette contains twelve very pigmented shades for just £4.99. This palette contains colours that are neutral but they can be built up to create a darker, more intense smoky eye, making this palette perfect for bringing your look from day to night. I find that these colours last on my eyes without creasing or moving and the palette comes with a dual ended brush/sponge, which I don't always use when applying but it is still pretty good. 

Also, I need to discuss the packaging of this product. It comes in a metal, tin case, not cardboard or plastic, thank goodness and so the eyeshadows are well protected by the sturdy case.  

From left to right: Teddy Bear, Wonderland, Cracker, Happy, Lady Luck, Twister, Di Di, 

Delilah, Magic, It's A Dream, Up In Smoke and Dawn. 

All in all, a really good buy, with a range of shades to take your make up look from day to night. 

Until next time,

Laura Elizabeth xo

Nars Sheer Glow

Nars sheer glow is by far one of the most talked about and blogged foundations there are. I'm quite proud of how long I resisted buying this, but after reading many reviews and just imagining it being in my make up collection, I finally took the plunge. One of the reasons why I held off buying this for so long was not just the price, but because no where near me has a Nars counter and so I could not get colour matched, after so much research I internet matched myself to 'Mont Blanc' and was very happy when it arrived as it was the perfect match - well done me! I wouldn't say this is a dewy foundation, although some people describe it as such due to the name, but it has more of a satin finish that gives a glow to the skin to make it appear healthy and natural. It does stick to any dry patch of skin so I ex-foliate regularly and always apply moisturiser before use, usually one with an SPF as this foundation doesn't have one. 

The only downside to it I would say is that it does not come with a pump, although the packaging is lovely it can get messy if you have a wobbly hand like I do, so for an extra £3 you cant go wrong, and that way you aren't using excessive amounts of the product each use! 

Overall this foundation blends well, there are lots of colours to choose from and it gives a flawless finish that photographs beautifully. 

Laura Elizabeth xo 

My March Favourites

Jimmy Choo - Eau De Parfum 

I loveeeeee this perfume. The first thing I noticed about this perfume was that it smelt like no other perfume I currently, or had previously owned and that it really didn't remind me of any other perfume I have smelt or sampled before on a shopping trip; it's distinctive. It is by no means a new perfume, but it is already one that I know I would re-purchase in the future and it has definitely earned its place in my favourite perfumes after only owning it for a little over a month. The one thing that baffled me however was that a number of reviews I had read about this product criticised the staying power of it - stating that the original 'strong smell fades after an hour.' In my own experience I can definitely say that I strongly disagree with these reviews, and I can certainly vouch for this product as it is one of only five perfumes in my collection that lasts all day! After wearing it for many hours the smell is still strong on my skin at the end of the day, and sometimes if I don't put my shirt immediately in the wash I can still smell it the next day! Now you might say, 'well that's all good and well, but how much of the product do you actually spray?' and my reply would be very little -  a little does go a long way with this product! It's a sweet perfume, with fruity, musky, warm spice scents.The bottle and packaging is cute and it really looks beautiful on my vanity table. 

L'Oreal Paris - Skin Perfecting Advanced Correcting Serum

I bought this product at the beginning of March and I can already see a clear difference in my skin. It claims to hep correct and improve the appearance of skin quality and although my skin could still use some help, this product has definitely made a difference. It is aimed at people in their 20's and 30's and really does give my skin the boost it needs. It makes my skin feel satiny and smooth and you only need to use a few drops morning and evening either alone or before your moisturiser. It has a nice smell to it, the cream isn't too oily and the bottle is cute. 

                                                          

Sleek Blush - Rose Gold

Blusher never used to be a part of my daily make-up routine, I would usually opt for a contour and highlight or a good bronzer and rarely bother with blusher at all. However the past few months I have been really enjoying using a blusher to dust some light colour on my cheeks to give a healthy look to my skin. This product I have owned for a while now after reading many reviews that said it was a great dupe for the Nars 'Orgasm' blush but I just rediscovered it and have been using it nearly everyday during March. The gold pigments in this blush are very pigmented but overly glittery, and the colour transfers onto the skin nicely. It is considerably cheaper than the Nars blush so if you want a cheaper alternative I definitely recommend this. 

MUA - Power Brow Shape and Highlight

I have recently written a review of this product on my blog a few posts ago, so I won't go into too much detail - link: MUA Power Brow Review This product has a small nib for the brown colour and the end is a shimmery highlight - both are highly pigmented for such a cheap product and make it easy to define my eyebrows. 

Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil - Nude Perfection

This is the first of four lip products in my favourites this month. The product is pretty much a dupe for Mac's 'Velvet Teddy' which is also in my March favourites however I find it has a different texture and finish on my lips than the Mac lipstick has. It dries my lips out slightly and doesn't give as nice a finish or smoothness to my lips, despite this the colour is lovely as well as the pigment lasting around two hours before it even slightly disappeared. There are nine colours in the range and for £4.99 they are good buy. 

Mac Matt Lipstick - Velvet Teddy 

Even though this is a matte finish lipstick in comparison to the Maybelline Lip Pencil this product does not leave my lips dry at all. I didn't really own a perfect nude colour until I bought this, and have found that this product looks different on different skin tones. It is a brown nude colour but not at all orangey and has great staying power.

MUA Velvet Lip Lacquers

I love the packaging of these, I think they look really high end despite them only being £3. I was slightly disappointed as they didn't completely transfer onto my lips  the same colour as they looked in the packaging or when swatched on my hand. However the colour's I picked out were still nice - 'Halycon' and 'Tranquility' and are highly pigmented. I have fairly thin lips and so applying these are quite difficult, but once they dry they sit nicely and have good staying power for the price of the product. 

Top - 'Halycon'

Bottom - 'Tranquility'

So these are the products I have been loving this month and will probably continue loving throughout April! What products have you been enjoying this month? Have you tried any of the products I have mentioned?

-Laura Elizabeth xo

My Current Favourite Highlighters

MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder - Pink Shimmer

Seventeen Skin Wow 3 Way Highlighter 

the Balm Mary-Lou Manizer Luminizer 

MAC Pearlmatte Face Powder - Pink Buttercream

These are just a few of the highlighters in my collection and it's fair to say that a good highlighter product is my favourite step in my make-up routine. These four are my current favourites and I have an internal battle every morning on which one to use! 

In my opinion all four give a totally different effect on my skin but similarly give a spectacular finish, providing my skin with a lovely glow. They range in prices, but I have to say I am so impressed with Make Up Academy's highlighter product, at just £3 you can't go wrong! It gives a radiant glow to my skin and works just as well the more expensive products from the Balm and Mac. 

The Seventeen highlighter has three amazing uses to it, to prime, to add to your foundation (giving an effect similar to Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation) and to add to the tops of your cheekbones for that perfect highlight. After using the product in all three ways, I have found that it gives a lovely luminous glow however you choose to use it. 

Mac's Pink Buttercream unfortunately was a limited edition product, and can also be used as a subtle pink blush or a glowing highlight. I find it gives the best results when I swirl all colours of the product together on one brush. 

The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer is probably my top top favourite highlighter product. I find that this gives so much colour to the face and it is super pigmented so a little goes a long way! I'd class this as a champagne shade however I think it would look lovely on any skin tone. 

What are your thoughts on these products? What are your favourite highlighter products? I'd love to know!

-Laura Elizabeth xo 

FOTD

Face Of The Day

YSL Flash Radiance 

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation in NW20

MUA Power Brow 

MUA Trio Eyeshadow

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold

MUA Velvet Lip Lacquer in Halycon

To be honest, this has been more of my face of the week! Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend. What make-up products are you loving right now?

-Laura Elizabeth xo

Make Up Academy Luxe - Powerbrow Shape and Highlight

I totally bought this product on a whim, with no previous research and after not reading any review or blog post prior to purchasing it. I didn't want to get my hopes up, 1) because its an eyebrow product and good ones are hard to find, 2) this make up range is fairly cheap and so it might not be as good as more expensive brands (although I know this isn't necessarily always the case) and 3) I have products from MUA which are perfectly good, but like I said, it's an eyebrow product! These products have to be good, and I've tried many that just haven't been all that great. 

However, I was really pleasantly surprised! Before using this product, my go to eyebrow product was, believe it or not, a powder palette from H&M which I used with the small angled brush that came with it, and this was my holy grail product for getting my eyebrows just right. Despite this, I fell in love with this product immediately and have been using it every day since. I find it works best for me when I use it light handedly - using a small amount of the product and building it up. I got mine in mid brown, and I believe there are only two other shades, 'fair' and 'dark brown' however I'm not 100% sure on that fact, there could be more, however these were the ones in stock when I was in Superdrug. 

The product has a small nib which twists upwards at the bottom to make more product available, and the other end has a highlighter which although is quite a pearly almost pink colour, which I wasn't too keen on at first, it compliments the brown colour beautifully. The only downfall I would say it has is the product can be easily smudged, so I would recommend using an eyebrow mascara or setter on top to keep the product in place. 

Sleek Contour Kit Review

Hello lovelies, I have a number of posts lined up this week, the first one is a review of the Sleek Contour Kit priced £6.49. Available here: 

http://www.sleekmakeup.com/face-contour-kit-light
http://www.superdrug.com/Sleek/Sleek-Face-Contour-Kit-Light/p/608327#.VOJIgPmsVaQ
http://www.boots.com/en/Sleek-MakeUp-Face-Contour-Kit_1395740/
Note: The colour of the different shades on the websites are not identical to the actual shades of the kit so I recommend going and having a look in a store or doing further search online if you are unsure of which colour will be best for you!

Mine is in the shade 'light' and as I'm quite pale this is the perfect shade for me. If I want a more bronzed, darker contour the product is easily build-able and super easy to blend; (I love using the contour brush from Real Techniques in the Core Collection set to apply this! Currently on offer at Gordon's Direct for £11.50! http://www.gordonsdirect.com/real-techniques-core-collection.html?gclid=CjwKEAiAx4anBRDz6JLYjMDxoQYSJAA4loRmO2DuAZnJlWtT3oMXLpUsK3X2qytuz2yNr8id-zYF5BoCdnbw_wcB ). The bronzer is matte and pigmented. 

The highlighter is also lovely, one I reach for daily, it's not too glittery or sparkly, but gives a lovely glow to the skin, and is also very pigmented. 

Overall, this is a product that I would definitely repurchase and one I would recommend for someone who is new to contouring, the kit also comes with a leaflet on where to contour and how to get the best out of the product!