There are times when you can’t help but be amused by coincidences and right timing.
I had been looking for a new face mask for quite a long time when I ran into a couple posts talking about the The Body Shop Drops of Youth Bouncy Sleeping Mask.
With such a name it isn’t likely that you will forget about it, but the fact that Caroline Hirons reviewed it and thought that it was a good product that delivered on what it promised put it firmly on my radar. As I have a The Body Shop store in town I simply had to try it and share my opinion.
So if you want to read my two cents on this mask, continue onto the review below.
Mac Blush Pink, Genuine Treasure and Hollywood Cerise
I originally thought that this collection would be online only in my country, so it was a welcome surprise to find the Philip Treacy collection displayed in my Mac Store.
I could not resist picking up one of the gorgeously embossed iluminating powders, a paint pot and a bright lipstick as if I did not already own a gazillion bright lipsticks!
Mac Blush Pink, Genuine Treasure and Hollywood Cerise
Kiko Colour-Up Long Lasting Eye Shadows in 33 and 28
You might know that I am a big lover of cream and stick eye shadows and that Kiko is a great brand when it comes to this type of product. They not only offer a vast range of shades in their permanent collection but they also launch limited edition shades now and then.
Another of the great things of Kiko is that they always have products of past collections at a discounted price both in store and online.
So when I visited the store and found these two Colour-Up Long Lasting Eye Shadows, a formula I had already bought some more neutral shades in, in the outlet pile I knew they had to come home with me.
Kiko Colour-Up Long Lasting Eye Shadows in 33 and 28
While it was true that for an everyday or more subtle brow I was set with what I already had as shown here, I still wanted a product that could give me more definition and intensity for those days when you simply want to look like you stepped out of the glamorous 40s.
When I got the chance to visit a Make Up Forever stand, I was overwhelmed with the large numbers of untried and unknown products. However, I was immediately drawn to their Aqua Brows! This looked like a product that I would enjoy. Let me review it for you and share my thoughts.
Laura Mercier Un Été à Ibiza, Summer 2015 collection introduction
Over a week ago I was offered an appointment at my local Laura Mercier stand to get a look featuring the new summer 2015 trends. We were lucky enough to welcome Amanda Rijff who oversaw the look application by Sapphire and provided useful tips.
The collection is called “Un été à Ibiza“, which means A summer in Ibiza and I couldn’t be more amused by it. If you pair it with last year’s Charlotte Tilbury’s “Sirens of Ibiza” collection, I feel that the island has achieved a glamour reputation in recent years.
As for the Laura Mercier collection, it features a mixture of permanent and limited edition items.
The face is meant to be fresh and sunkissed, using the new Face Illuminator and Bronzing Gel while on the eyes the new Eye Glacés in silver, bronze and gold are used and the lips are painted with the new Paint Wash Liquid Lip Colour in bright colours.
The collection items are beautiful and very flattering, but of course we adapted it to my skin and needs.
Mac Heroine, Chic Trick, Edge to Edge and I Get No Kick
… plus an Eye Kohl from the Mac is Beauty collection.
I had sworn I was done with the Mac is Beauty collection when I wandered into the store looking for Heroine lip liner and not only did I leave the store with the lip liner, but two more and a khol! No one will believe that they just appeared in my bag, right?
Well, seeing as how all four pencils found a new home chez moi, let me tell you my opinion on them and why I picked them up. So let’s start this review on the Pencilled in Lip Liners and Mac is Beauty Eye Kohl.
Mac I Get No Kick, Edge to Edge, Chic Trick and Heroine
The Mac collection Pencilled in was a collection composed exclusively of lip products in a multitude of shades. I wasn’t in a hurry to explore them as they are meant to be additions to the permanent line, but then I heard that Heroine lip liner was the only one that would not be permanent and I decided to go pick it up.
The new Mac Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation is love. It is also a mouthful to say so we shall shorten it to the new Prolong foundation. Better right?
So be ready for a long post as I have many nice things to sing from the rooftops about this foundation!
When I read about the claims of the upcoming new Mac foundation I was definitely interested as it seemed to be Mac’s answer to all (or most) of my requirements for my dream foundation.
Bloggers and MUA’s on instagram seemed to really like it, and I was even more interested once I read that it had been developed initially as a concealer. So it is pointless to say that I just needed to try it myself!
I went to my Mac store and came back home with two samples in my possession, one in NC20 and one in NC25.
Mac Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof foundation in NC20 and NC25
Applying the foundation: the first day I applied the foundation with fingers, as I tend to do when trying something new, and I was not totally convinced. If you just slap it on your face you will pile it on and it will look more unnatural. Plus, if you have large pores like me it can happen that as you are not working the foundation properly into the pores they can be more apparent once the foundation is applied.
On the second day I decided to give brushes a try. As I was feeling lazy, I simply took my Mac 130, which was small enough, and dipped it in the product left on the lid of the sample container. And wasn’t this an inspired idea!
Essie Buy me a cameo, Chinchilly and Lapis of luxury
When I recently saw that at my local store that caters to the beauty industry professionals they were putting a new Essie display, I was immediately interested.
Once I asked the sales assistants, I discovered that this was not the regular Essie line that they would be displaying, but the Essie Professional Application line.
After a bit of google fu, I did find that L’Oreal does have both Essie and Essie Professional as brands. Also, I was told by the girls at the store that these Essie nailpolishes have some differences when it comes to formula, brush, number of shades available and production site when compared to the retail Essie nailpolishes.
Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Paint in Manganese Purple and Rich Russet
On a trip to the local drugstore, my eyes were drawn to these two beautiful liquid eyeshadows.
Yes, any kind of cream or liquid eyeshadow acts as a magnet for me and I end relieving myself from some of my hard earned money.
In this case, the formula that I got to try is the Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Paint. It has a creamy consistency and has a metallic sheen. It is important to know that it dries quite quickly so there is not much time to play with it before it sets. Once it does, it will endure many hours with little to no fading.
I have worn the bronze shade to work and after an eight hour shift I still looked put together and not, as has been the case with other products, like I was wearing the previous night’s make up.
Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Paint in Manganese Purple and Rich Russet
I had been a Mineralize Skinfinish girl for a long time. That is until the Mac Studio Sculpt Defining Powders were released last September and gave them a run for their money.
I love this powder for its sheer and traceless application. It will set your foundation adding just a bit of coverage and luminosity to it. It is more subtle than the Mineralize Skinfinish powders so it gives you more options when doing your face.
In a way, the Studio Sculpt powders remind me of the Extra Dimension less sparkly powders: they are almost gel like pressed powders and not like your traditional dusty powder at all.
So, seeing as my light plus was just the tiniest bit light on me right now and that Mac released two bronzers in this formula in their Wash and Dry collection, a trip to my Mac store was in order!
Mac Studio Sculpt Defining Powder in Medium and Mac Studio Sculpt Defining Bronzing Powder in Delicates
Above you can see the powder in Medium and the Bronzer in Delicates. The Bronzer of course came in the gorgeous packaging of the Wash and Dry collection, the feel of which is reminiscent of the Alluring Aquatics packaging.
Transient Beauté 