MAC Cosmetics Masterclass

Recently I attended a three hour MAC Cosmetics makeup master class at the Makeup London Academy which I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a small class of eight, which was great as we were all able to ask questions and get involved. I attended the class with the intention of having a fun girly day with my mum who’s also an avid makeup fan, which I think answers the question of where my love of cosmetics has arisen from. Well, I think it would be fairly difficult for any girl to grow up with access to an absolute shed load of high end cosmetics and not end up a junkie, right?! That’s my excuse anyway and I’m sticking to it!

I didn’t film a whole lot of the actual class, with it being so small I didn’t feel like being the weirdo who decides to whip her camera out in peoples’ faces, ya dig?  However I did manage to catch a few bits and I share all of my thoughts about the whole experience in this video!

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Pick Of The Pinks



Clockwise from top right: MAC Fleur Power Blush  //  MAC Dollymix Blush  //  MAC Impassioned Lipstick  //  Topshop Nails Daydream  //  Essie Limo Scene

I love wearing pink hues at this time of year (or at any time on that note) to give me a natural and feminine look. I find that pale and nude shades have the ability to make you look fresh faced and youthful, while brighter shades are just perfect for a bold and pretty summer time pop.

So, here is my pick of the bunch when I’m looking for an instant lift to my complexion and a girly yet natural looking mani’...

MAC Fleur Power Blush – A warm toned pink. This is the more low key option of my two featured pink shades, a perfect one for all year round. If you’re looking for a blush that provides you with a healthy flush of colour, this is a perfect option. I like wearing this during the day with a slick of mascara and I also find it perfect for a night time when I’m opting for a more glam look on my eyes, it just adds that healthy glow without any crazy colour overload – we don’t want that! It has a satin finish which I prefer to matte shades which I find can be a little too powdery looking.

MAC Dollymix Blush – The name says it all, this is a bright candy pink and it’s just perfect if you’re opting for a girly doll faced look. However, don’t be put off by the crazy bright colour in the pan, when used with a light hand this blush adds a gorgeous healthy glow to your cheeks. It’s one of MAC’s sheertone shimmer blushes and while you can see the shimmer in the pan, it applies onto the face as a beautiful sheen. I don’t feel the need to use a highlighter when I use this, so if you’re into your multi purpose products then this is a great one. I love it for when I’m off on my holidays, it’s perfect for summer and saves space in my makeup bag by doubling up as my highlight, result!

MAC Impassioned Lipstick – This is a gorgeous warm toned fuchsia, I love bold lip shades in general but Impassioned is definitely my favourite summer bright lipstick. I pair this with Fleur Power blush and a neutral eye with a touch of mascara and my usual cat flick for an easy to achieve, feminine look. It is an amplified finish which of course means that the colour payoff is amazing and it lasts for hours.

Topshop Nails Daydream – If I’m feeling a pink nail, this is the colour I’m most likely to reach for. It’s bright, but not in an obvious sort of way. It’s not the brightest in my collection by a long shot, but the reason I love it so much is because it's a gorgeous flamingo pink (one of my favourite colours) that is easy to wear; it’s not an ‘in your face’ colour but yet it catches the eye at the same time. It’s a beautiful shade for summer time and I just love it.

Essie Limo Scene – This is more of a white based nude, however it does have the slightest hint of pink. If you’re a regular visitor to my Youtube Channel you will know that this is my absolute favourite nail colour of the moment. It’s such a natural shade and is one of those that makes your nails look freshly manicured whenever you’re wearing it. A newly added staple in my collection.

So there we have it, the pink products that have made it to the very top of my beauty bag! Every girl needs a bit of our signature colour in her life, right?!

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Matchy Matchy: Perfect Nail & Lip Colour Combo's

I’m not entirely sure if it’s just me, but does anybody else just love to match their nail and lip colours? No matter what outfit I’m opting for or whether I’ve spent quality time getting ready or not, I find that matching my lip colour to my nails instantly makes me look like I’ve made an effort – it’s the perfect con! In my humble opinion, it makes me look like an element of thought has gone into my look, even when all I’ve done is whacked a quick face on before rushing out of the door!

My current favourite colour combinations for Summer include my favourite lip shade ever, that is MAC's Candy Yum Yum paired with Revlon's Fuchsia Fever for a full on flourescent pink punch. My coral combo is MAC's Vegas Volt Lipstick with Essie's Tart Deco on the nails, I love coral shades during Summer and the colour of these two products match perfectly. Lastly, I love a matching red nail and lip for any time of year, I just think it's such an easy way to add a touch of sophistication to any look. My red lip of choice is YSL Rouge Pur Couture 1 and I like to wear this with Topshop Nails Pillar Box.

All three of these lipsticks feature in previous posts that I have written, so if you'd like more info on them you're in the right place! You can read my review on YSL's Rouge Pur Couture 1 here, while you can find my thoughts on Mac's Candy Yum Yum and Vegas Volt in my Top 5 MAC Lipsticks for Summer post.

Well there we have it, do let me know if you enjoy being all matchy matchy too or whether this post has given you a bit of inspiration to give it a try!

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MAC Paint Pots - Soft Ochre vs Painterly

MAC’s Paint Pots are fab, they can be used as a primer before applying your eyeshadow, or as a shadow in themselves. Unless you like a skin coloured eyeshadow though, Soft Ochre and Painterly are best used as a base. Both apply easily with fingers or a brush, both will go a whole day without creasing and both will make your shadow last all day (or night) – everything you want from a primer, right?!

So what’s the difference between the two and how do you choose one over the other? Well it really is very simple, basically the only difference is that they’re aimed at different skin tones. As you can see, while they are both skin coloured, Soft Ochre is yellow toned which will balance pink tones in the skin and counteract any redness around the eyes, while Painterly is much more pink, which is great for sallow toned skin as the contrast really brightens up the eye area. Wearing pink on the eyes if you have a pink skin tone is a recipe for disaster as it will give a look of being flushed and a bit piggy (for want of a better word), while if your skin is yellow toned, wearing yellow on the eyes can make you look, in all honesty, quite unwell. Counteracting these undertones is what Soft Ochre and Painterly are great for.

 I have an olive skin tone and I love using Painterly as a base for shadow as well as by itself if I just want to look like I’m not wearing anything – like the way you’d use a natural lipstick for a ‘my lips but better’ look, this is a ‘my lids but better’ if you will. My mum uses and loves Soft Ochre as she finds that by balancing out the pink in her skin, it really brightens her eyes.

If you’re unsure of what your skin tone is and would like to find out, staff at any makeup counter will be able to fill you in!

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My MAC Empties - Back to MAC!



In case any of you lovelies aren’t filled in about MAC’s 'Back to MAC' programme, basically it’s a fantastic way of receiving something back for your money while being environmentally friendly. By returning six MAC packaging containers, you are entitled to a free lipstick of your choice (excluding Viva Glam lipsticks for which all proceeds go to the MAC aids fund) and MAC will dispose of said packaging in an ethical way. Pretty good eh?!

So here are my empty (ish – more on that later!) containers that I’m taking back tomorrow, but before I part with them I thought I would show you which products I’ve made my way through. First is my beloved Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC35, as you can see I have scraped the very last morsels of this product out of the jar and the time has come to remove the reusable pump, pop its original lid back on (I don’t think this is a necessity) and repurchase this baby. You can read my review of this foundation as well as how it compares to MAC’s Studio Sculpt Foundation here. All I will say is, it’s love!

 Next we have two eyeshadows. The one that is completely empty is Satin Taupe, which is such a beautiful and versatile colour, in some lighting it looks brownish grey on the lid while in others it has a purple tinge to it, I love this as it is smoky however still natural enough to wear all over the lid during the day. It’s also a lovely one to wear in the crease to add some depth to the eye. The other pot of eyeshadow you can see (the one with the lid closed) is Blackberry, this is a matte deep purple shade that my mum gave to me after it brought her out in a rash (she has extremely sensitive eyes). In a nutshell, I highly dislike this product as I found the colour payoff is terrible especially for such a dark shade. Usually MAC’s colour payoff is second to none and I highly rate their products for lasting ages, this one however has an extremely solid powder consistency and doesn’t adhere to a brush easily, so for that reason it’s bye bye Blackberry – you’re going back!

The red lipstick is Lady Bug and is nearly finished but not quite, so I’m going to empty the remains into a sample pot. This one is a sheer, deepish, yellow toned red and rather than swiping all over my lips I prefer to dab this product on lightly to create a natural healthy tint. The nude coloured lipstick is Myth and I bought this a few years back when ‘concealer lips’ were the in thing (why?!). Needless to say I don’t use this anymore but it did have its place in my heart at one time and is nearly all gone. As with Lady Bug I’m going to decant the rest of the product into a sample jar to use underneath other lipsticks to lighten them up a bit. I also like mixing this with a pink gloss to create a natural nude lip. Last up is the completely empty pink shade. This was my first MAC lipstick and indeed the first MAC product that I ever bought and I wore it on my first date with my boyfriend six years ago, yes – it’s been empty quite a while. This little beaut is Lovelorn and if it wasn’t so old I would have attempted to extract the remains of this as well (waste not, want not and all that!) It’s a pretty blue toned pink and is perfect for a pop of colour during the day.

This is my first lot of products that I’ve ever taken back to MAC, which is an ode to how bloomin’ long they last! I’ll be sure to share with you whichever lipstick it is that I end up choosing for my freebee, hmm decisions decisions!

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Back To Basics: The Natural Look

Recently I’ve been opting for a much more natural look with my makeup. I’ve ditched my signature cat flick for a simple swipe of eyeshadow, a teensy bit of eyeliner on both my upper and lower lash line to thicken the appearance of my lashes and of course, a quick coat of mascara. I’ve really been trying to keep my skin clear lately so I’ve said goodbye to my foundation for a little while and only used concealer where I need it. A light dusting of bronzer, blush and a swipe of lipstick later and I’m good to go, quick and easy.

Face – Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer – Shade 3 Medium

Bare Minerals Warmth

MAC Blush – Fleur Power

Eyes – MAC E/S – Woodwinked (lid)

MAC E/S – Handwritten (crease & brows)

Avon Super Shock Eyeliner

Maybelline Rocket Volum’ Express Mascara

Lips – MAC Lipstick – Crème Cup

 

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Back To Basics: My Everyday Eye Makeup Essentials

When it comes to the topic of eye makeup, I’m the same as a lot of other ladies out there in that I own a multitude of different eyeshadows, liners, etc, however I always find myself reaching for the same few items on an everyday basis. These are the basics of my eye makeup kit if you will, the products that I’d be safe with if all my other makeup were to be taken away (let’s pray that never happens) and here I shall explain why I couldn’t possibly do without them.

Let’s begin with my MAC quad palette, this is one of MAC’s customizable palettes and I love it for travelling as well as for everyday use. In it I have Arena, a soft peach which I use most days as a natural looking base all over my lid. I then like to add some depth to my crease which I achieve by using Cork, a soft matte brown. For a more made up day look or for my favourite nighttime look (a bronze smokey eye) I have Woodwinked and Amber Lights which I also think are both perfect for day to night transitional makeup if you’re a busy bee on the go. When doing a smoky eye I (sparingly) use MAC’s Handwritten eyeshadow which is an extremely pigmented dark matte brown in my crease, I also use this everyday to fill in my eyebrows.

No matter which look I’m going for I always top it off with a flick of eyeliner over my top lid and a coat (or two) of mascara. I’m currently using Avon Super Shock Eyeliner and Maybelline Rocket volum’ express Mascara.

 

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FOTD

Last weekend was my cousins baby shower, so I thought I would share the makeup that I wore for the special day with you. It was a daytime do at a hotel so I went for a made up yet simple look. Hope you enjoy!

Face –  Benefit Porefessional Primer

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation - NC30

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - Shade 3 Medium

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural – Medium Dark

Bare Minerals Ready Bronzer – The High Dive

MAC Blush – Style

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish – Soft and Gentle

Eyes – MAC Paintpot – Painterly

MAC E/S – Arena (lid)

MAC E/S – Cork (crease)

MAC E/S – Handwritten (Brows)

Urban Decay E/S – Sin (highlight)

Avon Super Shock Gel Eyeliner – Black

Maybelline Rocket Mascara - Black

Lips – MAC Lip Liner – Stripdown

Mac Lipstick – Please Me

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FOTD



Hi ladies! Here’s one of my current go to looks, I love a bright lip with a simple cat flick for summertime!

Face - MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation - NC30

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - Shade 3 Medium

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural – Medium Dark

Bare Minerals Ready Bronzer – The High Dive

MAC Blush – Fleur Power

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish – Soft and Gentle

Eyes – MAC Paintpot – Painterly

MAC E/S – Amber Lights (lid)

MAC E/S – Handwritten (crease & brows)

Urban Decay E/S – Sin (highlight)

Avon Super Shock Gel Eyeliner – Black

No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara

Lips – MAC Lipstick Viva Glam Nicki

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My Everyday Makeup

So this post is about the makeup that I am currently wearing on a daily basis. This changes throughout the seasons and depending on what mood I’m in, however for summertime I am leaning towards accentuating my natural tan by using a bit of bronzer and neutral colours on my eyes. Rather than going for a peach or bronze blush like I normally do in summer, I’ve recently been loving a pink blush to add some healthy looking colour to my cheeks. I’ve been pairing this with a pink lip for a fresh faced look. These are the products that I’m using at the moment.

Face

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation – NC30

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer – Shade 3 Medium

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural – Medium Dark

MAC Blush – Fleur Power

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish – Soft and Gentle

Eyes

MAC Custom Eyeshadow Quad:

Top Left - Arena (Lid)

Top Right - Cork (Crease)

Bottom Left – Woodwinked (Lid)

Bottom Right - Amber Lights (Lid)

Mac Eyeshadow – Handwritten (Crease & Brows)

No7 Beautiful Eyebrow Pencil – Brown/Black

Avon Super Shock Gel Eyeliner

No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara

Lips

MAC Lipliner – Stripdown

MAC Lipstick – Please Me

Elemis Loving Lips Quenching Lip Balm

I hope you enjoyed this post, I love looking at other peoples everyday makeup favourites and so I thought I’d share mine too!

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