MAC / ZOEVA HAUL

Here I am, all shopped out... again.

This months big splurge was on MAC and Zoeva so I thought id share. 

Whenever I do these posts, I feel like I should just say that In no way am I trying to show off,  just showing you what I bought and giving a little run down.

 Personally, I love seeing what people are trying recently and think its great to hear everyones opinions on new or old products. 

This haul consists of lots of goodies Ive been pining for. Some I always felt were almost to boring to buy (e.g, Eyeliner), but the other day I decided it was time to treat myself to some items Ive been wanting for months.

 I have to say, since trying them all I've realised why they're such cult beauty favourites and I hope this is helpful to anyone still pondering wether to buy these or not!

MAC Soar & Stripdown Lipliner -  £12.50

Yes, I finally bought the infamous 'Soar' lip liner pencil and yes, I was inspired by Kylie J.

Soar is medium Plum colour, not to dark but still quite dramatic. This definitely won't be a every day colour for me but still beautiful for when I fancy something bit bolder!

'Stripdown' is a dark brown colour similar to 'Spice' but more of a Cool-toned Brown. 

I paired it today with Mac's Blankety Lipstick & it looked beautiful. I would definitely wear this as an every day lip. I find this tone of brown suits my skin tone really well so I can get away with it being a little darker. I wouldn't really recommend this for you English Rose's out there as I think you'd find this a little to harsh!

MAC Amber Times Nine Palette - £30

Uhhhh. This palette is just beautiful.

The pans are smaller than their usual shadows so I will assume these are Limited Edition but if you can get your hands on this, get it.

What really stood out for me about this was what a great size it is. Fitting 9 shadows in to a smaller compact is great for a makeup artists kit and so handy when travelling. I think they have 4 or 5 of these with different shades. Good for my kit - bad for my bank balance.

 In Amber Times Nine you get ;

Cozy Grey - Kitties - Georgia Peach

Ricepaper - Creative Copper - Cork

Don't Tell - Aromatic - Pepper Please

Ive done posts about MAC shadows before so I won't go into great detail. I've always wanted to add 'Cork' & 'Ricepaper' to my collection so great, now I have.  MAC shadows are one of my favourite to work with. Creamy, super pigmented, blend-able and for 30 quid, I'd also say quite affordable. 

Mac 'Velvet Teddy' & 'Vegas Volt' Lipstick - £15.50

Its mine! Velvet Teddy is mine!

So, Ive wanted Velvet Teddy for a while. Can you tell?

I have a serious love for Matte Lipsticks. I hate how boring out country is for lip products while America has brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills, Dose Of Colours & Jeffrey Star bringing out these amazing liquid lipsticks. Yes, you can buy them from over seas, but then you have to pay shipping and 9 times out of 10, customs charges.

Anyway, rant over, 'Velvet Teddy' is a Matte nude lipstick and it is beautiful.

'Vegas Volt' however has kind of taken the lime light for me. It is literally the prettiest hot orange/coral colour which is just perfect for summer and this unexpected heat the UK has been experiencing the last few weeks! 

Love.

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot - £15.50 & Fluidline Eye-Liner - £15.50

These 2 are bit boring really. 

Mac Fluidline in 'Blacktrack' is definitely not for people just starting out using liquid eyeliner. I suggest eyeliner pens from any drugstore which are a lot easier and don't require a brush. However, for you girls down for spending a little longer and getting your liner on point, this is a great product.

This is my second pot of this and it can dry up sometimes. When it does, I just spray my brush with a little Mac fix + and your good to go again.

I bought the Mac Pro Longwear Paint Pot in 'Soft Ochre' as I already have 'Painterly'. Annoyingly, its a very warm skin toned colour where as Soft Ochre being more of a yellow tone which suits me better. For anyone wondering what the paint pots are, they're basically cream colour bases which have multiple uses but for me, I use them as an eyelid primer. They make your shadows last longer, and also act as a blank canvas to make your looks more vibrant. 

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NC25 - £17

I already have this in NC15 which I now wonder what I was thinking as its far to light for my skin.

I ended up putting it aside and never used it but as so many people have told me how fab it is, I decided to get it in my actual colour and I stand corrected.

Its lovely, Its creamy, Its full coverage, Its super blend-able.

Mac, You did good... and Im sorry. 

ZOEVA Rose Gold Eye Brush Set - £56.95

These brushes could be a pile of shit but I'd still be like, Pretty though aren't they?

Luckily, they're not a pile of shit. They're fab and actually super affordable.

Pricing at around £5 a brush, these are probably one of the best sets you can buy. 

12 brushes at MAC would cost you around £200 at least so with this set only costing £56...

you can't really go wrong.

They're really soft, beautifully made, and you get zero moulting.

 Ive never really cut corners with brushes. I always say to my clients, If you gave me rubbish makeup with my tools, I could still make you look nice. If you gave me my makeup with rubbish brushes, I'd really struggle. These are definitely some of the best brushes on the market, not just for the price. So if your currently looking for some nice brushes without the hefty price tag, try these out!

If you are interested in any of these products, I have linked them all within the description.

Ellie x

MOTD

Super quick post but here is my Makeup Of The Day.

We were going to Oxford for a weekend away so I decided to do a bit extra for my makeup for once.

Im a bugger for sticking to a nude lip, occasionally an Ombre nude. (Exciting I know)

But anyway, I kept my eyes neutral for this look as I think dramatic eyes and a bold lip can look bit Drag Queen!

Skin - La Roche Posay Hydraphase Intense UV Rich

On my face Im wearing - L'oreal Lumi Magique foundation in 'Pure Beige'

Powder - NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder

Cheeks & Contour - Smashbox Colour & Contour Limited Edition palette - 'Contour' & 'Bronzer'

Blush - Sleek blush in 'Suede'

Highlight - The Balms Mary Lou Manizer 

Brows - Soap & Glorys Archery with Maybelline Brow Drama 

On the eyes - Mac Paint pot in 'Painterly. Crease & lid / Mac 'Saddle' 

Mascara - L'oreal Volume Million Lashes SoCouture NoirBlack

Lips - Mac 'Cherry' liner, Mac 'Russian Red' Lipstick

I also decided to match my nails with O.P.I - Big Apple Red 

I also used their Base & Top coat which I've always been a fan of and I got a good 5 days to a week out of this polish before they started to look scruffy. 

So there we go, I absolutely love red and loved wearing this look!
All products are linked!

X

CHARLOTTE TILBURY

Wow. What an exciting post.

I have to start this by stating what a huge fan I am of Charlotte Tilbury. 

Ive followed her work since I can remember. Im pretty sure every man and his dog will have seen her work, even if just simply admiring a celebrities makeup and haven't realised.  She has been around for 20 years and started her career at such a fabulous time. She was thrown into the supermodel world when assisting at the fashion shows, working on faces such as Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.  

As a makeup artist she's a huge inspiration and I love her work so inevitably I have always picked up bits and bobs to add to my kit. Yesterday however, yesterday was different. 

I went makeup junkie crazy in Selfridges and I splurged. 

Charlottes makeup has always appealed to me through her love of golden, dewy skin and masses of highlight. Her makeup range is no different.

Before I go into product info and what I bought etc, here is my Before & After. All the products used  are listed below;

Skin - Mac Strobe mixed with Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow 

On my face I'm wearing - Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation No.7

Powder - Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Medium.2

Through the brows - Soap & Glory Archery & Maybelline Brow Drama 

Cheeks - Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow & Smashbox Blush in Flush

Highlight - Nars Highlight in Albatros

On the eyes - Crease/ Mac Saddle Lid/Mac Hey and Vanilla Extract 

Browbone and Inner corner/Nars Highlight Powder in Albatross

Mascara - L'oreal Volume Million Lashes SoCouture NoirBlack 

Lips - Mac liner in Spice, NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm & Mac Blankety

Now I was in Selfridges so of course I had a little splurge elsewhere to. Yesterday it just happened to be Nars. I picked up the ever popular Nars Creamy Concealer in Custard and Highlighting Powder in Albatross. (I love both... But sorry Nars today is all about Charlotte)

But here it is - My weakness.

Can we just take a minute to appreciate that packaging? And luckily it reflects the products inside. Also I just have to mention how knowledgable and helpful the assistant on the counter was that day. I shopped at the Selfridges in Birmingham's Bullring and it made such a difference to receive such good customer service! 

I also want to add what a lovely touch the box is that you receive all your Charlotte Tilbury treats in. Im a sucker for packaging but this really does feel luxurious which is what you want when treating yourself. 

So, Here we go. 

The Filmstar Bronze and Glow - £49.00

This has been massively raved about in the Blogger world so naturally I felt I had to get my hands on it and its amazing. I cannot believe quite how much I loved this from the off. Sculpt shade is super pigmented with the perfect cool undertone that a contour shade needs but just enough warmth to use as a bronzer. Really blend-able and gives you that gorgeous glow without any chunky glitters or harsh shimmers. L-O-V-E.

The Highlighter is just as lovely, Funnily enough I found it very similar to Nars Albatross which I repurchased the same day. (Doh) However, I do not feel bad about this because I love both so much they will 100% get used! It is more of a golden highlight rather than a pink tone. I find all of Charlottes range to have a golden glow, present in all of her work.

I also purchased the Powder And Sculpt Brush - £35.00

 And I'm so happy I did. Id heard really good things about this brush but it really is fab and perfect for contouring. 

Wonder Glow Primer - £38.50

Charlotte swears by this. Well thats what the assistant tells me anyway!

Beautiful glowy primer and Really hydrating. It reminds me a lot of Mac Strobe Golden Elixir lotion which was unfortunately limited edition so I was super excited to find this. When I was in the shop I tried this on my hand and actually was put off as it has flecks of glitter but when on your skin under your foundation it isn't noticeable and just looks beautiful. 

Light Wonder Foundation No.7 Medium - £32.00

Oh my god this is my favourite product of the collection by far. I have definitely found my new go-to foundation... And probably my night out fave to. If your looking for dewy foundation which is a step up from a tinted moisturiser you'll love this. Perfect for dry skin and even great for Normal/Oily skin who want to embrace their shine. I use mine with a damp beauty blender which is my favourite way to apply any foundation.

Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder 2 Medium - £33.00

If Im honest this is least impressive product I bought but thats simply because Im not a huge fan of face powders. I love a dewy finish so I only use them on my t-zone. I hate matte cakey skin but I did find this did what a good face powder should do - reduced my oils for a good 8 hours before I felt to shiny. 

All products are linked if you are looking to purchase for yourself.

So there you go. Ive fan-girled Charlotte to the max and love everything in her range.

I will definitely be adding to my already extensive collection.

(Probably sooner than necessary!)

x

SMASH BOX COLOUR & CONTOUR PALETTE

So last weekend as you know we went to Liverpool for a little break.

Sunday the weather was pretty miserable but we wanted to make the most of it so we went to Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet. For people outside of the UK, Its basically a retail park which has designer labels at discount prices. Its has shops such as Armani, Mulberry, French Connection, Jaeger, Juicy Couture, Michael Kors... You get the picture.

As we were walking round I had actually said how great it would be if there was a makeup shop somewhere among all the brands and just as we were walking to the car, there it was!

As you can imagine I was in my element. It had Mac, Bobbi Brown, Smashbox, Clinique, Estee Lauder and lots of perfumes. 

I didn't go mad as we had definitely spent enough and we were rushed for time. 

Anyway, on to the fun stuff. I bought my Mac Face And Body foundation in C3 and my Mac Mineralise Concealer in NC25. Not much to say about those, just repurchases! However I'm really excited by my new Smashbox Colour & Contour Palette!

It retails at £80.00 but I bought mine for £56.00 (I know, bargain!)

It comes like a book and you can remove each palette. They both have a hard plastic cover that clicks on top to so they are super handy for makeup artists as you can travel easily with them.

If your interested in buying this, you can get it here at SmashBox

So you get 32 eyeshadows, 3 Blushes, a Contour, Bronze and Highlight powder.

I am SO impressed with this palette. Has a nice mix of Matte and Metallic shades. 

Each shadow is incredibly pigmented, soft and finely milled. Even better with a primer. 

From left to right we have; Naked, Nectar, Flirt, Vanilla, Drizzle, Ambient, Pebble & Golden Orchid.

Topaz, Sienna, Cinder, Nude, Royal, Blackout, Smoke & Sumatra.

Oyster, Sky, Lavender, Snow, Zoom, Steel, Lilac & Rose Petal.

Ivy, Cerulean, Violet, Papaya, Serpent, Nocturnal, Blacktop & Peony.

Contour, Bronze, Highlight, Carnation, Flush & Rosy.

These face powders are exceptional. Lasted all day and I didn't get any fading for at least 8 hours.

I would definitely recommend this palette. I love it and for the quality and amount of product you get, It's well worth the money. 

X

WOULD YOU RATHER / BEAUTY TAG

1.) Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?

Definitely rather lose all of my palettes and shadows! 

2.) Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?

Never be able to cut it again. I don't have much of a style anyway and I love to just tie it up so, more hair the better!

3.) Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?

Coral cheek 100%. I veer towards corals with all my looks anyway.

4.) If you had $1000 to spend, would you rather buy clothes or makeup?

Can I not split it on both :-(! Id have to say makeup. I just love wandering round makeup stores and I know I will always find things I want. Sometimes I can go clothes shopping and not find one thing I like.

5.) Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?

Eyeliner as lipstick probably... I use lipliners on their own sometimes so I assume it would just be the same thing!

6.) Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?

Sephora all the way. I would never want to limit myself to just the one brand!

7.) Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?

One eyeshadow colour. Im not very adventurous with my eye makeup, Id rather mix it up with a bold lip.

8.) Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?

Probably winter clothes in summer, I hate being to cold. At least I could remove some layers if I'm to hot!

9.) Would you rather have dark nails or bright nails all year round?

Dark nails! Im a massive lover of dark colours on my nails and I think they suit all the seasons.

10.) Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?

Eye product I think. I have an obsession with lip products and have a whole drawer of lip balms. I know, I have a weird attachment to them.

11.) Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or a messy bun?

 This questions quite funny to me because my everyday style is a messy bun so, It wouldn't affect my life to much! 

12.) Would your rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss?

Never use lipgloss. You could always replace it with a good balm? I love painting my nails so I could never give that up!

13.) Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in everyday?

Ha well this is just awful. Im gonna have to say sharpie them in everyday. I reckon I could find a good enough shade and make it work for me!

14.) Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?

Wow toughie. Im gonna go with nail polish as makeup makes me feel ready for the day. Nail polish doesn't do that for me, but id definitely miss it!

CHANEL Vs NO7

Well everyone... Ive been shopping. 

Now I know everyone always says they love shopping but when I say it... I really mean it.

I could spend hours upon hours wandering round Selfridges or Boots just 

playing with makeup... and I will never get bored! Its got so bad, my poor boyfriend knows the name, shade and price of my favourite Mac Concealer. 

Recently I bought myself No7's Superlight Foundation and Ive been 

absolutely raving about it. Now as I'm sure most makeup junkies know, you just can't buy new makeup before checking out online reviews. So whilst doing my research I heard it was also a great dupe for Chanel's Vitalumière Aqua foundation. 

After I loved it so much, I foolishly assumed the Chanel foundation would be even better (Considering it was double the price!) so I went out this weekend and brought it.

Chanel VitaLumière Aqua Foundation / £33.00

No7 Stay Perfect Superlight Foundation / £14.00

 both brought from Boots.UK

So firstly I really like both their packaging. Compact and classy, nothing fancy or unnecessary. They are both 30ml & Both have an SPF 15.

Chanel VitaLumière - 'Ultra light skin perfecting makeup. Luminous and naturally radiant'

No7 Superlight - 'Life-Proof foundation for a super-natural, flawless completion with a barely there feel.'

Left - Chanel VitaLumière , Shade 40 Beige

Right - No7 Superlight, Shade Warm Beige

 The Verdict? Save your money! It pains me that I already had an amazing foundation and I went out and spent £33.00 on one that is actually (in my opinion) not that great!

No7 Superlight is totally true to its word. Really dewy and lightweight, It feels like I'm not even wearing anything on my skin. Im Normal/Combination and it suits my dry skin on my cheeks and oily T-zone. I actually can't fault it, I really love this foundation.

However, Chanel's Vitalumière I find to be actually a bit heavy for my skin. 

I tried this out for a week and every time I used it It just disappointed me. 
I kept expecting it to turn me into a Dewy Goddess but alas, It did not. 

I also found It to react with oils throughout the day and turned me a bit orangey, which I have found with other foundations in the past.

Im sure on a night out with a good powder will love this foundation but for my everyday, i'll be sticking with my No7! 

X

L'OREAL COLOUR TROPHY

So a few weeks back I teamed up with Sassy Hair (my friends hair salon) to do the makeup  for the L'oreal Colour Trophy competition. 

It was a lovely day making up some beautiful models and now I have the final edits back, I thought i'd share them on the Blog.

Im really excited to finally be able to publish these photographs because finally we have had news back that we got through to the Regional Finals! 

Models / Richard Jones, Will Jones

Models / Richard Jones, Lydia Heath

Models / Yasmin Green, Will Jones

I loved doing this girls makeup, but I really wanted to let her natural beauty shine.

Primer - Mac Strobe cream & Benefit Professional 

Foundation - Nars Sheer Glow 

Blush - Mac's 'Desert Rose'

Bronzer - HD Brows Bronzer in Medium (very lightly)

Lips -  Mac liner in 'Boldy Bare' with Sleeks 'Bare All' lipstick

I primed her lids with Mac's paint pot in Painterly. 

I used Mac Eyeshadow in 'Kid' over the lid and 'Butterfudge' in the crease.

I used Maybelline's Colour tattoo in Pink Gold under the eye.

L'oreal Gel Liner on the lash line and finished with Givenchy's Noir Mascara.

  

Model / Stephanie Melbourne 

Primer - Mac Strobe cream & Benefit Professional 

Foundation - Mac Studio Fix Fluid  

Blush - Sleeks 'Flushed'

Bronzer - HD Brows Bronzer in Medium

Lips -  Mac liner in 'Spice' with ArtDeco's 'Dita Von Teese' lipstick

I primed her lids with Mac's paint pot in Painterly. 

I then used Maybelline's Colour tattoo in Permanent Taupe on the lid.

Over that, I used Macs 'Amber Lights' in the centre of the lid.

I used Mac's 'Saddle' as a transition shade.

I used Mac's 'Dance in the Dark' in the crease and inner corner of the eye.

I used Mac's 'Devilishly Dark' on the outer V to darken it up. 

Maybelline's Gel Liner, Givenchy Noir Mascara & Ardell Lashes.

 Primer - Mac Strobe cream & Benefit Professional 

Foundation - Mac Prolongwear 

Blush - Mac's 'Desert Rose'

Bronzer - Chanel tan de soleil

Lips -  Mac liner in 'Subculture' with Sleeks 'Bare All' lipstick

I primed her lids with Mac's paint pot in Painterly. 

I used Mac Eyeshadow in 'Saddle'' in the crease.

Over the lid, I used Mac's 'Regal Affair' 

In the inner corner & on the brow bone, I highlighted with Urban Decays 'Virgin' 

L'oreal Gel Liner on the lash line and finished with Givenchy's Noir Mascara. 

Ardel Demi Wispies. 

Looking forward to the Regionals in Manchester,

and many more photos to come!

TANYA BURR COSMETICS

I've always followed Tanya's youtube channel so I was really excited when I found out she was releasing a Lip Gloss and Nail Polish range.

Personally I haven't tried her any of nail polishes. As a beautician, I always have shellac on so never buy nail polish for myself.

I only have nine of her glosses, But I'm really impressed.

The formula is lovely, really creamy and pigmented! (Plus they smell Uh-Mazing)

I bought my glosses from Superdrug and off FeelUnique.com. 

However, I stupidly ordered my package twice from Feel Unique so have doubles of some of the colours.

Bottom to top / Just Peachy, First Date, Afternoon tea, Aurora, Picnic in the Park,

Sparkling Dewdrops, Aphrodite.

My favourites are Afternoon Tea and Picnic in the Park. If I'm honest 'I'm not a huge fan of Just Peachy or First Date, They are way to light for my skin tone. Also because they are so pigmented, I can't even apply a light layer so I don't get much use out of those two.

I purposely took pictures of them on my lips so you could see what they're like on the lips.

(top two - Just Peachy & First Date)

I only have a small collection so far but will definitely buy more.

 They are only 6.99 each which I think is affordable, especially for the quality of the product! I hope this was helpful in any way.