MUA Eyeshadows

Hi all,

Firstly I would like to apologise for the poor quality of the photos, the battery went in my camera so I had to charge it but I had already done all the swatches so used my phone.

I'm sure most people now will have heard of the budget brand that Superdrug stock named MUA, everything in the normal range is £1 and in this range they have, eyeshadows, eyeliners, liquid liners, powder, blusher, nail polishes, lipsticks and lipglosses. I've tried a few of the products and with most I have found them to be quite good and I have been pleasantly surprised. I didn't really expect much for a £1. The packaging is quite cheap and basic but it does the job and I haven't had any breakages as of yet, which is something that I have read alot of people have.

Below are some swatches of the MUA eyeshadows that I have in my collection.

From L-R (MUA don't have names they just have numbers) 19, 3, 20, 13, 12, 10, 4, 18, 2 and 1

Unfortunately because of the camera the colours don't show up too well, I can assure they are alot brighter in person.

Most of the colours are highly pigmented and even though they are a powder the pearl shades have quite a creamy texture, the only colour that isn't all that great and I definitely wouldn't recommend is the matt black, its not very pigmented but then again I struggle to find a decent matt black in more expensive brands.

For review purposes I wore one of these shadows today to monitor how well it last throughout the day. I used shade 4 which is a shimmery pink colour. I used this with no primer or base just applied directly to my eyelid, it blended very well and it was easy to pack on the colour, it was bright colour and in my opinion looked quite lovely :-)

Throughout the day I kept checking and it did look quite freshly applied it hadn't creased and still looked bright. After 8 hours I decided to have a closer look. It was still bright and it hadn't creased, although I did notice that it sort of slipped down my eyelid but it still looked ok. I would think that with a good primer these would last throughout the day and still look as good as they did when you first applied them. I would recommend taking a look at these next time you are in Superdrug but definitely testing them out on your hand before you buy as some of them look like they will be alot more pigmented than they are, I also think that the pearl colours are better than the matt colours.

Hope you enjoyed.

Lots of Love CF x x x

Poundshop hits & misses!!

After popping into my local Poundland for a can of diet coke a few months back I found that they had quite a collection of branded make up, they had Maybelline, Rimmel, Revlon and lots more. Ever since then I often go in to take a look what they have as they tend to have new bits added regularly. 

To be fair a lot of it you can tell is just tat that no one else could sell so Poundland probably bought it for next to nothing, BUT I have found a few gems hidden in amongst the junk. Some of which I absolutely love :-)

Here is some of my Poundland collection split up into categories

From L-R Almay powder, NYC Chroma face flow in sunstone and moon stone, Covergirl clean make up foundation and WetnWild beauty benefits fresh effects foundation

From L-R Maybelline Lash Stiletto, Collection 2000 volume sensation, MEMEME drama queen, Collection 2000 Magi-Length, Rimmel Glam eyes, Rimmel 1-2-3 looks and Maybelline define a lash

From L-R Vital Radiance eye mousse, Revlon Eyespy shadow, Rimmel eyeshadow trio, Rimmel stir it up eyeshadow and prestige duo eyeshadow

From L-R Fake bake lipglosses, Sally Hansen plumping glosses, MEMEME glosses, Maybelline gloss, Rimmel Gloss, Ulta lipstick, Vital Radiance lipsticks, Revlon lipsticks, Rimmel lip liners, Vital Radiance liners.

So we have face products, mascaras, eyeshadows and lip products.

They do have quite a large selection of face products such as powders, liquid foundation and blushers but due to me having very sensitive skin I have to be really careful about what I put on my face so very rarely try anything other than products I have used before and know don't irritate my skin.

Some of the items above are amazing, some are ok and some are just pants! I'm only going to go through the really good items that I would recommend and the terrible items that I would avoid like the plague.

I'm going to start off with the "avoid at all costs" items.

5th place goes to Covergirl clean make up foundation. Its a glass bottle that you have to pour the product out of which I hate and I find it hard to control how much product you are wanting as its quite thin and runny. It didn't really do anything to the look of my skin although it did make me look quite oily within a couple of hours.I wont use this product again or recommend it to anyone else.

4th place goes to Rimmels 1-2-3 looks mascara, this mascara is adjustable  for how long and thick you want your lashes, for me it was just 1 for clumpy, 2 for really clump and 3 for the clumpiest damn eyelashes you have ever seen.  Never again!

3rd place goes to Rimmel Royal Gloss in cookie, theres actually nothing wrong with this gloss really, it goes on nicely, its not sticky and lasts a decent amount of time. The reason this one is coming in at number 3 on the misses list is because the smell and the taste is absolutely vomitocious!!!! I assume its supposed to smell like cookies but it doesn't smell like cookies to me. It just smells like sweet sickly vomit. I can't actually put this on my lips without gagging. I would buy these glosses again depending on the smell apart from cookie *gag*

2nd place goes to Revlons Vital Radiance lipsticks, not much to say about these really. I found them to be quite drying and didn't go on the lips very well. Considering they are aimed at the maturer lady I would have thought they would have been alot more moisturising. These were actually 3 for £1, I wont be purchasing any more of these

1st place goes to WetnWild Beauty Benefits Fresh Effects mineral foundation. When I first purchased this foundation I was really excited to try it out and as soon as I got home from shopping I took my make up off and gave it a go. I was really surprised by the coverage it covered any redness and blemishes on my face and gave me a wonderful glow, I was made up, a great powder foundation that made my skin look wonderfully healthy for £1 what more could you want. It was so good I actually popped back into town 2 days later and picked up another 3, what a bargain a years worth of foundation for £4, you can't beat that, well thats what I thought until the damn thing brought me out in an almighty rash. Oh my gosh it was awful it was on my chin, my cheeks and my forehead., it was so frickin itchy and my skin felt tight and really uncomfortable. Obviously I stopped using it immediately and made sure I was washing my face with my dead sea soap morning and night and after about 2 days it cleared up. I haven't used the foundation since and the rash hasn't come back so i'm pretty sure that this foundation was the culprit!

Okie dokie so onto my top 5 hits from Poundland, these are products that I love and would be happy to purchase for the full RRP

5th place goes to NYC Chroma Glows, I absolutely adore both of these, I think my favourite out of the two is the moonstone which is the pink one with the purple marble effect, it gives a gorgeous highlight to my cheeks with a lovely pink flushed look. It isn't that pigmented but it is buildable, although I just swirl my brush a couple of times pop it over the apples of my cheeks and i'm happy with the effect this gives. From what I have read this is discontinued so I have picked up a few back ups if I see any more I will be grabbing them before they go. I love them


4th place goes to MEMEME light me up lipglosses. These are lovely, I have 2 of the clear and 1 of the pink, they have a minty taste, they are not sticky at all and last for quite some time. They also have a light in the lid, I find this a bit gimmicky and as of yet it has never come in handy but you never know, I suppose its nice to have it there in case.


3rd place goes to Vital Radiance eye mousse. These little mousses were 2 for £1 and they're great. its a really light colour  but I just put a light layer over my eyelid if I feel like going very natural and it gives a lovely sheen and doesn't crease. I think there are a few products in this range which are not too bad so its worth a look.


2nd place goes to Art Deco Nails, although I don't have a picture posted above there is a post about my top 10 products which these are featured in. I love these for doing designs on my nails and if I could find them in a shop for their full RRP (which I would imagine is more than £1) I would be happy to buy them.


1st place goes to the Maybelline Lash Stiletto mascara. I love love love this mascara, I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it, i'm not usually a fan of Maybelline but this mascara is wonderful it doesn't clump and makes my lashes look longer and thicker. It doesn't flake or crumble and although it isn't a waterproof mascara it doesn't run if you get caught in rain with no umbrella....I would know. I also went shopping after buying this and found the exact same one in another shop for £8.15 so £1 seems a bargain to me for a mascara that is rather fandabbydozy!!!


Hope you enjoyed my review on these products, if you have picked up any gems at Poundland I would love to know or even if you have picked up the same items as me let me know :-)


Thanks for reading


Lots of Love CF x x x

My top 10 favourite products!!!

Hi Everyone,

Second post of the day. My husband and kids are at football, I have nothing to do so thought I would do this a little earlier than planned. MY TOP 10 FAVOURITE PRODUCTS!!!

These are the products that I am loving at the moment, there is a mixture of some cheaper products and one or two higher end products. Each and every one of these products I find to be incredible in their own way for different reasons. Hope you enjoy!!! :-)

Number 10 - Lancome Bi-Facil eye Non Oily Instant Cleanser Sensitive Eyes 

I have really sensitive skin and alot of products do cause me irritation, this on the other hand it amazing, it takes off all of my eye make up including waterproof mascara which can be a right pain in the bum to get off! It doesn't cause me any problems with my skin, its not oily at all and you only need a small amount to get off your make up, it is quite pricy but definitely worth the money for me because it works with my skin. This will always be a repeat purchase for me! Well done Lancome!

Number 9 - L.A Colours Art Deco Nail Art Lacquer

I actually bought these from Poundworld for yep you guessed it £1 each!!! BARGAIN! I've seen these on Youtube but never seen them in any shops over here and spotted them in Poundworld. I bought one of every colour they had which, unfortunately was only 5. They are really good for doing designs on your nails, the brush is very long and thin and makes it really easy to do lines and designs, you do have to be a bit careful as sometimes the product can move down the brush and fall onto your nails but provided you make sure you get rid of all the excess you will be fine. I love these and will be looking out for more colours, I would definitely recommend these to people who like to experiment with nail designs!

 

Number 8 - Barry M Lipglosses

No particular colour I just picked up the first one I came to put I love these, there not sticky at all and give a lovely shine to your lips, they taste nice also, some lipglosses I find leave an awful taste in my mouth but these are quite pleasantly flavoured (not that I eat my lipgloss...honest). The one in the picture I believe I got free with a purchase of an impulse body spray!

Number 7 - Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Half Baked

I do love all Urban Decay eyeshadows, they're gorgeous colours, excellent pigmentation and they blend really well but this is my all time favourite colour, it looks lovely on my lids when i'm my normal pale self and look gorgeous with a tan also. I got this particular one in a gift set with a mini primer potion and a 24/7 liner in Bourbon.

Number 6 - E.L.F Studio Blushes

Love, Love, Love these blushes. I have put my favourite 3 which are tickled pink, candid coral and gotta glow. Each one is really well pigmented, blend to a gorgeous natual flush of colour and last all day. The gotta glow is a gorgeous highlighter for cheekbones and your brow bone and for £3.50 each they are a steal. My favourite out of the 3 is candid coral it has lovely subtle gold shimmer to it and will be one of my favourite blushers for a long while, I just hope E.L.F never discontinue it!

Number 5 - Lancome Le Crayon Khol

The one in the picture is only a sample size which came in a gift set. I love this eyeliner, when I swatched it on my hand I wasn't impressed at all, I thought it didn't look that black and seemed like it tugged at my skin, I dreaded to think what it would do to my eyes, BUT I was really impressed, it goes on really creamy at just one sweep across my waterline is enough for day and I can build it up to a more dramatic look for night and it doesn't melt to make me have the dreaded panda eyes. Love this eyeliner and now have a couple. Although I have to say that the NYX black eyeliner is a close second which I also really like.

Number 4 - Dead Sea Natural Black Mud Mask Soap

My first experience with the Dead Sea range was about 5 or 6 years ago when my mum bought me a hige bundle of it for Christmas and I fell in love with all of it straight away, it works so well with my skin, it doesn't irritate it at all and makes my skin feel clean and soft. The bath and body items are also really good. I'm a bit down at the moment though, I was washing my face with this soap this morning and I don't know if its just me but to get plenty of it on my hand I kind of twist it round in my hand, well I did this and the thing shot out the top of my hand straight down the toilet, and it went right down I had to get the hubby to come and stick his hand down to get it so it didn't block our drain, oops. So I would recommend to make sure that your toilet seat is always down when using block soap if you are as clumsy and accident prone as me :-)

Number 3 - Pixi Energy Blush

This is one of the most pigmented blushes I have used. Its seperated between a blush and highlighter but I use them together and just lightly sweep the two and put it over my cheek bones, it gives the most beautiful glow with a really subtle colour and just makes my skin look gorgeous. I think it looks especially lovely when I use a foundation such as my bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, this makes my skin look really dewy and then with this blush on my cheeks my skin looks amazing and it makes me look really healthy. They sell this at Boots for £14.50 but I found one at my local TK Maxx for £2.99 for worth a look.

Number 2 - Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

I have put this as the microfoliant but I do adore the whole dermalogica range, it works really well with my skin, doesn't irritate me in the slightest and when I do suffer with the occasion horrible break out it sorts my skin out within a couple of days. I like the microfoliant because its suitable for every day use and gets rid of any nasty dead skin which can leave your skin looking quite dull. Its quite expensive but I haven't yet been able to find a product that works as well for me that costs less.

Number 1 - Lancome Hypnose Mascara

I know, I know third Lancome product in my top ten. I just love this mascara, I have so many from budget brands, mid prices to higher end and none of them compare to this mascara, I don't have particularly short lashes they are ok length wise but this mascara makes then longer, gives me volume and the main reason I love this is that it doesn't clump at all. I can do as many coats as I want and it doesn't clump in the slightest which is one of my pet hates with mascara, I have cheaper mascaras that I love but they do clump and it annoys me. I love this and it will always be my go to mascara. However if anyone can let me know a mascara that is as good as this I will be more than happy to give it a go :-)

I hope you all like my top ten products and if there are any on here that are in your top ten also let me know.

Thanks for reading

Lots of Love CF x x x

(very) tiny Boots haul :-)

Hi Everyone,

I had £5 left on a Boots gift card so decided to pop in and use it up before it burns a hole!

I'm always after looking for budget foundations which stand up to more expensive brands, sadly I haven't been able to find any as of yet.  I've found a few that are ok but nothing that stands out so I thought that I would have a look at a cheap foundation.

I headed over to the Boots 17 section and noticed that they were doing buy 2 17 products and get a free gift so I thought why not!

I got the skin perfecting shine free foundation in natural costing £3.69 (currently £2.00 off) and the instant glow highlight and bronze powder costing £3.59 (currently £1.00 off) total cost for  2 products was £7.28 less the £5.82 I had on my gift card meant my total spend from me was £1.46 - bargain!!!

For purchasing the two products I also got the Femme Noir Box which I thought was nothing special but I was pleasntly surprised when I got home and opened it, it included a glitter eyeshadow in night sky (a dark silvery colour with lots of glitter) a liquid eyeliner in black and a lipgloss in very berry. I thought the eyeliner was a mascara so was made up when it was an eyeliner as I currently have about a billion mascaras on the go, I also thought the lipgloss was going to be way too dark for me but that also surpised me, its a very buildable colour and you can have it so its just a nice touch of colour on your lips or a really dark purply red colour if you prefer, lovely! The final item is gorgeous, I love it and will be wearing it over the Christmas period, its a gorgeous silver with lots of glitter, it looks alot more glittery in the pan and is a lot more subtle on your eyes but its very a buildable colour. 

All in all I think it was a rather succesful trip and i'm more than happy with my purchases. Once i've tried them all out I will put a review of each product up.

See you all soon and have a great weekend.

Lots of  Love CF x x x

My first post YAY ME!!!!

Hi everyone,

so this is my first post, how exciting. My plan was to do my nails all pretty and put up some pics of the finished look, unfortunately things did not go to plan. I painted my nails a lovely peach colour, and then ballsed them up whilst doing the black stripes. The look I was aiming for was a corset, it looked lovely on 4 out of the 5 fingers on my right hand but my middle finger decided that it didn't want to play today so no nails :-( ah well thats life I suppose, always tomorrow.

Hopefully will be able to have something go right tomorrow that I can put up for you, fingers crossed x

Night All

Lots Of Love CF x x x