UK Brands I'm Glad We Have

1. Sleek MakeUP

2. Barry M

3. Makeup Academy (a.k.a MUA) 

4. Collection 

Okay, so in THIS post I spoke about the brands which we couldn't get in the UK which I wished we had. These are the brands I see in Non-Uk blogs and on youtube which are raved about, and I wish we could get hold of their products.

This got me thinking though, it isn't all doom and gloom for us here in the UK. We actually have quite a few UK-only (I think they are UK-only, if not they certainly aren't widely available outside the UK) that I suspect others wish they could get a hold of in their country. I chose four of the most popular UK brands which I would want if I wasn't from the UK. This post is both to help cheer up us UK Folk who are still upset that Tarte still haven't bought their blushes to the UK or for those of you who may be visiting the UK and wondering which brands to check out.

1. Sleek MakeUP
If you've read my blog for a while, you'll know how much I love Sleek. They are one of the best highstreet brands available. Their blush by 3 palettes offer 3 great quality blushes for only £10, and they also offer brilliant eyeshadow palettes at only £7.99. I love all the Sleek products I own, and have never been disappointing by a product of theirs. I'd say they are my favourite high street brand for sure, and much of my daily makeup is from them.

If you are new to Sleek the products I recommend checking out first are their Blush by 3 Palettes, their iDivine Eyeshadow Palettes and their gel eyeliner in Dominatrix.

2. Barry M
From a young age Barry M has always been the brand you go to for your nail polish. They offer such a huge range of colours, including different finishes and effects. They are also really affordable and the quality is great. However, they also do makeup such as the infamous dazzle dusts. I don't own as much from them as some of the other brands, but still highly recommend them.

If you are new to Barry M the first thing I would check out is their huge nail polish range. It's what they are best known for, and they do it well.

3. MUA
MUA is one of the cheapest brands in the UK, but that doesn't mean it compromises on quality. Most of it's items are below £4 with many products only £1. Some of it's best known products are the Undressed and Undressed Too Eyeshadow Palettes which are said to be exact dupes for the Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2 Palettes. They have also recently released a collection with One Direction which was actually a huge hit among quite a few bloggers.

If you are new to MUA I'd suggest checking out the Undressed and Undressed Too palettes as they are great eyeshadows for neutral-lovers. For those who prefer a bit of colour, there are many other palettes available.

4. Collection
Finally we have Collection. I think the best known product from this range has got to be the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer which seems to be every beauty bloggers go-to concealer and it has countless rave reviews. I too love this concealer and it is one of the best I've tried. It offers great coverage and doesn't look cakey or dry.

If you are new to Collection I'd 100% recommend checking out the Lasting Perfection Concealer, and also the Work the Colour Eyeshadow Pencils.

So that's it for my favourite UK Brands. Are there any I've missed out that you love? And to all those who aren't from the UK who can't get these, don't despair. Read my Brands I wish we had in the UK post to cheer yourself up!

Makeup Through the Ages | 1990s

I've recently become really interested in how makeup trends have changed over time. As a result, I've decided to start a blog series on makeup trends in different eras. I thought about doing it chronologically, but instead decided to do it in which was easiest. I decided to start with my favourite - the 1990s.

I grew up in the 90s (born in 1993) and it's weird looking back on my childhood and seeing how things changed. For me the 90s meant the Spice Girls and watching Friends on TV. Watching these old programmes back, it's amazing how different the makeup is.

The 1990s saw the trend of 'no makeup makeup' which has recently started to be seen back on the catwalks. It's the idea of wearing makeup so it appears that you are barely wearing any - that you just woke up looking that good. If you look at all the 90s pictures above, they aren't wearing any noticeable eyeshadow, not much eyeliner (maybe some kohl pencil), no false lashes and just a bit of lipgloss. There's none of the heavy contouring or fake eyelashes that we see today. The 90s also saw groomed brows. These were well kept and filled in, but not deliberate made thicker or plucked to and inch of their lives as you see today.

Get the Look

In order to get the look, it's important to have the skin looking as natural as possible. Use a tinted moisturiser or a BB Cream in order to allow your real skintone to show through, including slight rosey cheeks and freckles. To tidy up the brows use a brow pencil with a brush on it to comb through them and gently fill in with the pencil. To get the 90s look make sure it looks very natural and doesn't look drawn on. Don't alter the shape of them either, or try to give your brows a huge arch, just follow the natural line. If you want to use an eyeliner on the eyes use a soft brown kohl eyeliner this will create a soft effect that will give the eyes a bit of definition without looking unnatural. Finally, for a bit of colour on the lips using a tinted lip balm to give your lips a bit of colour and a glossy shine that looks like 'your lips but better'.

I hope you enjoyed today's post, and if you are also a nineties child, thinking back to your childhood. I really enjoyed writing this post and it's interesting how makeup trends change so much in a few years.

Brands I Wish Would Come to the UK

LORAC Unzipped Palette - $40 | LORAC PRO Palette - $42 | Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush - $26 | Sephora Collection IT Palette - Nude - $32 | Sephora Collection Moonshadow Baked Palette - In the Nude -$26 | Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush - $11.95 | Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Baked Bronzer - $13.95

1. LORAC
This is a brand I've discovered recently, but I wish we could get them in the UK. In particular, I really want to try their eyeshadows. There is nothing I love more than a good eyeshadow palette, and Lorac's look incredible. In particular, I really want to try the Lorac Unzipped Palette (which looks like an amazing neutral palette) and the PRO palette. I saw a video featuring the Unzipped Palette and it looks ideal for me, I love those champagne eyeshadow colours for netural daytime looks.

2. Tarte Cosmetics
This, this, this. If you've read a few of my blog posts you may know that I'm a blush lover. I love all different shades, different finishes and different brands. One of the brands that bloggers always praise for their blushes are Tarte. I've looked high and low on the internet and can't find anywhere that stocks it in the UK. They have the most amazing shade selection, and if I ever go to the US they will be the number 1 brand I check out.  

3. Sephora Collection
From what I've gathered, Sephora is similar to stores like Debenhams or House of Fraser. They sell a lot of high-end brands, but also sell their own line of makeup. I've seen quite a few reviews on their makeup, and they all are positive. They are also well priced and it seems like you get a lot for your money.

4. Physicians Formula
At the time of writing (September 2013) there has been some rumours that Physicians Formula is coming to the UK, so I'm not sure if by the time this is published it will be here or not. But anyway, I really love the look of the Physicians formula. They have some really unique designs and their blushes and bronzers have amazing reviews. They are also pretty cheap too (on the level of the likes of Bourjois).

So that's it for the makeup brands that I wish would come to the UK. Are there any non-UK brands that you really wish you could get a hold of but can't? Let me know in the comments.

Wishlist | Hair

1. Moroccanoil Oil Treatment(25ml) - £12.85 | 2. Tangle Teezer Compact Styler - £11.99 | 3. Label.M Resurrection Style Dust (3g) - £10.95 |  

4. TIGI Bed Head Ego Boost Split End Mender 200ml - £11.50 |  5. GHD Gold Classics Styler - £109 |
6. L'oreal Elnett Satin Lumiere Hairspray 400ml - £6.49 |  7. TIGI Bed Head Small Talk 200ml - £15.50

I'm back with another wishlist! I have a bit of a beauty confession. I neglect my hair far too much. I mean, I do take care of it, but when it comes to making the most of it, I really don't do much. A lot of the time I leave my hair natural, or will curl it using my curling wand but that's about it. My sister on the other hand, is obsessed with her hair. She likes makeup but isn't too fussed, but when it comes to hair she seems to have every product ever made. I really want to start taking better care of my hair so have put together a wishlist of products I think would help me make the most of my hair.

I've really want to try the Moroccanoil Oil Treatment for ages. I have read countless rave reviews about it on blogs, and about how it's a life changer. I've never actually used a hair oil, but would love to see if it actually makes a difference to my hair. The price isn't as high as I was expecting either. I have also seen so much hype about the Tangle Teezer Compact Styler, my sister has one of these and loves it. I have really thick hair, and it's getting quite long now, so my hair can get knotty and difficult to manage. I really think this would be great for taming my wild hair. I've also heard these are great to use on fresher curled hair to soften the curls a bit.

I'm still not even completely sure what the Label.M Ressurection Style Dust is, but when I read the description I knew I wanted it. It's supposed to add volume to your hair and make backcombing effortless. I'm a fan of big hair, so think this would be great in my collection. TIGI are my favourite brand for haircare, their hairspray (reviewed here) is my all time favourite. I really want to try the TIGI Bed Head Ego Boost Split End Mender for a while. I'm always growing my hair as I love my hair long - the longer the better. Unfortunately, I'm also prone to getting a few split ends as a result of this. I really want to try this and see if it works, and I think it would make my hair look so much better - especially when I straighten it.

I still don't know why I don't own a pair of GHD Stylers. For ages I've wanted a pair, as they are supposed to be the bee's knees of hair straighteners. I've had my hair straightened once using my friends GHDS, and it just looked so much better than when I use my normal straighteners. I have really thick hair, so most straightening irons don't manage to straighten it very well. I really need to invest in a pair of these as I know I'll use them a lot. L'oreal Elnett Hairspray has become a little bit of a legend. Wheneve I ask anybody their favourite hairspray - this is it. I need a new hairspray and it's quite hard to find my beloved TIGI hairspray in stores.

Finally, I really want the TIGI Bed Head Small Talk. It's supposed to add shine, body and volume. 3 things which I love in my hair. I also love the packaging of this - how cute does it look?

So that's it for my current hair wishlist. Do you have any must-have products for your hair that I need to try?

Illamasqua Loose Powder - Translucent | Review

Powder is one of the more boring things to repurchase, but it's also one of the most important. I have really dry skin, but I still need to make sure that I powder my skin to make sure I don't get any unwanted shine and that my makeup stays on my face. I've tried quite a few powders, but the one I always go back to is Illamasqua's. It has everything I would need from a powder.

The Claim:

'Express who you are through the way you look, then give it the perfect finish. Finely milled and perfectly matt, Illamasqua Loose Powder is soft and light, and fixes your make-up flawlessly, holding it in place while you hold everyone’s attention. A must in the kits of the Illamasqua Art Team when working on set.' 

My Thoughts:
I have this powder in translucent (it's not white - it doesn't show up as any colour on your face so don't worry about it making you look like Caspar the friendly ghost). I always get my powder in traslucent if I can, as I'm pretty pale and find that a lot of powders just look awful on me, by using translucent this combats the problem. I wouldn't recommend this is your skin is darker than medium though, it may look a bit ashy on your skintone.

Illamasqua's claim that this is finely milled is spot on, this dissappears into the skin and doesn't leave your skin looking cakey. It's also brilliant for removing shine. I use this on the center of my cheeks (where I get the most shine) and it completely mattifies it, and I'll have no shine on my face all day.

It also keeps your makeup in place all day, combined with a good primer and your makeup won't shift. I wear this everyday and find that my makeup will last until the end of the day. I don't have oily skin so I can't say for sure how it will hold up, but my sister has combination/oily skin and she loves it.

I have it in the loose powder format, which I do like but I think when I need to repurchase it I will go for the pressed powder version. The only reason for this is that I travel quite a bit (to and from uni - 4 hour journey) and I always worry when taking my powder as I don't want it to accidentally open and spill. This has never happened to me and the lid does fasten securely on. However, I think the pressed powder version is more travel friendly. This powder lasts for ever though, I think I've had this very tub for nearly 2 years now, and you can see I've still got loads left.

I really recommend this powder, I've already got my sister hooked on it and I don't see a need for me to ever try a new brand of powder.

Availability & Pricing:
Illamasqua Loose Powder is £23 and available to buy from Illamasqua.

Soap & Glory: Thick & Fast Super Volume Mascara | Review

Sorry for the Awful Photo! I can't take photos of my eyes at all.

First of all, I'm really sorry about the awfulness of the eye photo. I took so many and this was the best that I could get, but hopefully it show how the mascara looks on my lashes.

The Claim:

'This super volume mascara creates amazingly, longer, fuller, fabulous lashes. Featuring SUPERFILL™ False Lash Fillers, SHINE AMPLIFIERS, NOFLAKE24 technology and super-fine no-clumps natural wax film formers. *While we don’t feel it’s ladylike to brag, we’re feeling particularly bullish about our mascara. (And hope after trying it you’ll agree that it’s absolutely marvelous.'

My Thoughts:
In my opinion, this is one of the best highstreet mascaras available on the market right now. Soap & Glory is often known for it's bodycare but it's recent venture into makeup has also been incredibly successful. I never usually think to look at Soap & Glory for makeup, but recently I have found myself loving their products, and I've heard so many good reviews on the rest of their range.

The above photo is me wearing two coats of this mascara, you could possibly do 3 but I think it would start to clump. I've done both the top and the bottom lashes and also haven't curled my lashes. I really like this mascara and love the effect it has on my eyelashes. I'd say it's more of a lengthening mascara but it does add some volume. I think for the price this is great quality and is comparable to some of my favourite high-end mascaras (such as They're Real). I realise the photo is not the best quality in the world (believe me I took tons, but I can't photograph my eyes at all) but hopefully it show you the effect you can achieve with this mascara. I like quite long lashes, but you can definitely create a more natural look if that's what you are looking for.

The brush is pretty big but I don't mind that. I find it easy to coat the lashes and the mascara doesn't flake off and smudge off either.

Availability & Pricing:
Soap & Glory Thick & Fast is priced at £10 and available from Soap & Glory.

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream | Review

The Claim:

'Burt's Bees' Lemon Butter Cuticle Créme gives your needy nails a helping hand. Nourish and moisturise nails and cuticles with this intensive, natural treatment. A touch of lemon oil makes your nails smell incredibly clean, healthy and beautiful, naturally.'

My Thoughts:
The biggest thing I love about this is the smell. I love all things lemon-scented. It's by far my favourite scent and I love it in my bodycare products. This has a gorgeous lemon smell that is very apparent when you first open the lid. If you hate lemon or scented products, this may put you off. Although the scent is noticeable, I wouldn't say it is at all overpowering. Once applied to the cuticles the scent is only there for a small while, and it's only detectable if you have your hands near your face.

So enough about the smell, does it actually work? In my experience, it really does. I've only ever used liquid lotions for my cuticles before (like OPI Avoplex Oil) but with this cream you can really massage it into the cuticles. It also makes your cuticles feel incredible smooth and soft after using this. I don't suffer from particularly bad cuticles so can't say how this would work on someone with problem cuticles but since using it they have been in a much better condition and less dry.

Availability & Pricing:
Burt's Bees Lemon Cuticle Cream is available from Burt's Bees for £5.99

I really love this cuticle cream and it's become a staple in my nail routine. You get a fair amount for £5.99 and it's a lot cheaper than other cuticle care products out there

Urban Decay Ammo Palette | Review and Swatches

I've had this palette for ages and it was actually one of my first high-end makeup items. I love it, and as you can see I've hit pan on 2 of the shades (Maui Wowie and Polyester Bride). I'd probably have hit pan on Sin if I didn't already had it in the Naked Palette (where I have hit pan on it). I use this palette most days and love the fact that it's got great neutrals for an everyday look, and then slightly more unusual shades too.

Pigmentation:
As you can probably see above, these eyeshadows have great pigmentation. In my own experience, Urban Decay eyeshadows have some of the best pigmentation available. In particular, Smog, Midlew, Last Call and Shattered have great pigmentation. It's a little hard to see Polyester Bride and Sin in the swatches, but this is simply because I am very fair and it's hard to get them to show up on my skintone as they are similar in colour.

Application
I find Urban Decay eyeshadows a pleasure to apply and these are no different. Although the shades are all shimmery, I don't think I suffer fall out with any of them. The only one I'd be more careful with is Oil Slick as the shimmer is more noticeable and the shimmer particles are bigger. However this can be solved by doing eye makeup before foundation, which I'd suggest using when working with black eyeshadow anyway. The eyeshadows are all easy to apply and go on the eye smoothly. They are also easy to blend with other eyeshadows.

Lasting Power

New Ammo 2 Palette Packaging

I always wear my eyeshadow over Urban Decay Primer Potion as I find it makes my eyeshadow stay put all day. This palette comes with a travel-sized Urban Decay Primer Potion, which is a great addition to your makeup collection if you haven't already used this. I find that these eyeshadows last all day on me and there is no creasing in sight.

Packaging:
This is technically the first version of the Ammo palette, with the current edition sometimes being referred to as 'Ammo 2'. However, aside from the packaging and the addition of a small brush and travel-size UDPP, the palette remains the same. The eyeshadows are all exactly the same as in the older version shown here.

Availability and Pricing:
The Urban Decay Ammo Palette is available for £23 from Debenhams.

I really recommend the Ammo Palette, especially to someone who may just be starting to use higher-end makeup. This palette is one of the cheapest higher-end one on the market and contains 10 great shadows that will enable you to create a variety of looks. I love the fact you can use this for neutral day time looks, night time looks and then slightly more creative looks.

The Beauty Bucket List

So maybe this should have been the first ever post I made on this blog, considering the title of it is 'Beauty Bucket List'. However, I thought it's better late than never so I've decided to do a post on it now.

I've always loved the idea of bucket lists, I think they really a really great way for people to think about the things they want to do in life and set goals to achieve them. I think having a beauty bucket list is a bit of fun and a great way to think about what products you'd really like to try. I've had a page up on my blog for ages about what's on my beauty bucket list, but I thought I'd do a post about it. Most bucket lists have an end date '30 before 30' or '50 in 50 days', so I'm not sure when to make this for. Maybe 3 years? 1 year isn't long enough considering I'm a student with not much money!

Own a Chanel Lipstick
I've never owned a Chanel product, but to me they always represent the epitome of luxury makeup and I really want to be able to try one of their products. In particular, I really want to try a Chanel lipstick as I've heard so many rave reviews about them.

Own Nars Laguna, Benefit Hoola and Guerlain Terracotta Bronzer
For me, these represent the 'Big 3' when it comes to bronzers. These are the ones I always hear being talked about as the best powder bronzers on the market and as being the ones the ones that you have to try. As of the moment I currently own none of them but would love to own them all and think they would make a great addition to my everyday makeup.

Try Benefit's Best Selling Cheek & Lip Stains
This is another product in the beauty community that is constantly raved about and it's another one that I haven't tried. I really want to try them though as I love lip stains as I hate having to constantly reapply my lipstick during the day, so they are perfect for me.

Own 3 of Nars Best-selling blushes
Whenever you heard the word 'Nars' you automatically associate it with 'blush'. I currently only own one of their blushes (Oasis) but really want to try more, I've heard a lot about their other blushes and it seems the one I have is actually one of the less popular ones.

Do a Huge ELF Haul
The rage these days seems to be getting a large order from ELF as they do good products for very little money. I have never tried anything from ELF but I really want to see if all the hype is justified.

So that's currently what's on my beauty bucket list. Let me know what's on yours or if you have any ideas for what I can add to mine!

The Beauty Blogger | TAG

Source

 *I actually wrote this post back in August but completely  forgot about it, I found it in my drafts this morning so decided to put it up*

Hey everyone,

I was tagged by the lovely Hannah from Hannah Hepton to do this tag. She has a lovely blog, you should all go check her out :)

1. Name a beauty routine you barely do

Eyebrows, my main worry is that I'll make my eyebrows look too dark and totally wrong. I find eyebrows are one of those things that if you do wrong, you do them very wrong and it's pretty noticeable. Also, being blonde I find it harder to find anything that would match my eyebrow colour so when I do try to fill them in they look too brown or too ashy. I'm currently trying to fix this by doing my eyebrows more but I still neglect them a bit.

2. Is washing your makeup brushes something you do regularly?

Quite regularly, sometimes though I get so busy I really can't be bothered. I'm good with washing my eye brushes and they are easy to wash and dry quickly. I hate washing my foundation brush and blush brush though, they have so much product in them and it takes forever to get out.

3. How long will you last with chip nails? 

It really depends, if I'm just chilling in the house then I won't care and will let them get as chipped as possible. If I'm seeing friends or going for a night out I always repaint them to make sure they are chipped, nothing worse than really chipped nail polish.

4. How long do you put off buying/replacing a beauty or nail polish product even if you need it? (i.e. top coat, foundation and so on)

 It depends on if I can afford it at the time. For example, my Urban Decay Setting Spray has currently run out and it used to be a staple in my daily routine, however it's on the pricier side so I haven't been able to replace it yet. However, I always make sure I replace foundation/mascara etc straight away, whether it be a repurchase or a new buy.

5. What’s your worst beauty habit?

Biting my nails, I don't even realise I'm doing it and my nails are so weak because of it. I'm not so bad at doing it anymore, but my nails are already so weak they just break so easily.

6. Name something non beauty related you put off doing all of the time. 

Laundry, it's boring and it takes ages. I'm lucky in that I have quite a lot of clothes so I just wear all my clothes until I have nothing left and have to do the washing.

7. When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready until the last minute or not?

Nope, unless it's a spur on the moment thing. I generally take about an hour and a half to get ready (washing and drying my hair takes up a lot of that) so make sure to start getting ready with enough time to spare, I hate rushing.

8. Can you commit to spending bans? 

I've never been on a spending ban but I have to budget because of my student loan so can't buy anywhere near what I would like to.

9. How organised are your makeup and nail polish collections? 

Not at all, it's actually pretty bad how unorganised it is. My nails varnish is kinda organised, it's all stood up in a drawer. My makeup is all over the place, because I use it so often and am always rumaging through it I never see the point in tidying it up because it just gets messy again.

10. What is the longest time you’ve gone without writing a blog post? 

I'm a big scheduler, in fact during the summer I managed to create 3 months worth of scheduled posts. Because of this the longest I've gone without having a blog post being posted is 3 days, but I have gone slightly longer without writing one.

I tag:

Carly from SmileLoveSpend
Becki from Becki, Bows and Beauty
Abi from A Floral Crown

How Much is your Face Worth? | Tag

Base
Illamasqua Matt Primer - £22.50 // Revlon Colourstay Foundation in 110 Ivory - £12.49 // GOSH Clickn' Conceal in 01 Light - £6.99 // Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 01 Fair - £4.19 // Illamasqua Translucent Powder - £23

= £69.17

Eyes
Urban Decay Primer Potion - £15 // Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sin - £14 // Stila Eyeshadow in Notting Hill -£13 // Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Virgin -£14 // MUA Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde - £1 // Benefit Magic Ink Liquid Eyeliner - £15.50 // Sleek Ink Pot in Dominatrix -£5.49 // Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara -£10

= £87.99

Cheeks
Sleek Contour Kit in Light £6.49 // Sleek Blush in Candy Floss - £9.99 (in Sleek Blush by 3 in Sweet Cheeks)

= £16.48

Lips
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous - £7.99 // Clinique Long Last Glosswear SP15 Lipgloss in Air Kiss - £16

= £23.99

Total = £197.63

So I've seen this tag floating around the internet for a while and decided that I would like to do it just to see exactly how much money I was spending on makeup. I did my everyday routine using the products I most often reach for, I didn't try and use cheaper/pricier products in order to skew the results.

I think compared to a lot of tags that I've seen my total isn't too bad at all, and I have got a mix of both high end and highstreet products. The most expensive things I use are the Illamasqua Setting Powder and their Matt Primer. The products I've been using recently have been on the cheaper side as I'm starting to see little difference between high end and low end products. For example, usually my foundation is £30+ but I've been using Revlon Colourstay recently and have really loved it.

There are also certain products I've run out of that I need to repurchase that would usually be included in my makeup. For example, my Urban Decay Setting Spray which is one of my Holy Grail products. I've also been using Sleek for blushes, contour and highlighting recently instead of higher end brands.

I hope you found this interesting, if you've done this tag I'd love to see a link to it in the comments below!

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub | Review

Is it just me or does the name of this product make anyone else think of the game Candy Crush? Anyway, I've had this scrub for a while now and thought it was about time I shared my thoughts on it. I've already tried Soap and Glory's The Breakfast Scrub and Flake Away but this is my favourite of them all. It's now my go-to body scrub.

The Claim -
'Super scrub with smashed brown sugar and sweet lime, almond oil & macadamia grains.'

Packaging -
As always, the packaging of this product features the typical light pink of Soap and Glory products. The lid fits onto the products securely so it is fine to travel with. The tub is also plastic so it's not going disintegrate in the bath or shower.

You also get quite a lot of product. You get 300ml and this will last you for ages. I use this quite a lot and you can see I've still got loads left. So you get your money's worth with this scrub.

Smell -
This does have a very strong scent, so if you're not keen on scented products this may not be for you. However, I really love this scent and it is one of my favourite things about the product. It's a very sweet, sugary scent with a tiny hint of citrus (from the lime).

Application -
I love the way that this applies to the skin. It's a bit thinner than some body scrubs with smaller grains which I like as I find it easier to work into smaller areas. This exfoliates my skin really well and leaves me with a very smooth finish. The scrub is great for tackling really dry skin but this does mean that it can be a little too harsh on the skin if you are too rough. I also love that because the product has a thinner texture it doesn't feel so rich on my skin. Once you wash away any excess you may have the product feels like it has sunk into the skin, which is something I personally like. I don't like it when you apply a product and it takes ages to sink into the skin.

Also, make sure not to get water inside the product. I've done this with another one of their scrubs and it makes the product become really thick and less pleasant to use.

Availability and Pricing -
Soap & Glory Sugar Crush is £8 and available from Soap & Glory.

I really recommend this product to anyone who is a fan of Soap & Glory Products and is looking for a new body scrub.

Too Faced | Brand Wishlist

1. Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette - £24

2. Too Faced Shadow Insurance - Glitter Glue - £17

3. Too Faced Sweetheart Beads - Radiant Glow Face Powder - £26

4. Too Faced Glamour To Go - £19

5. Too Faced Brow Envy Kit - £28

6. Too Faced Brightening Blush - La Vie En Rose - £16.50 

7. Too Faced Primed and Poreless - Bronze Tint - £24 

8. Too Faced 3 Way Lash Lining Tool - £18

9.  Too Faced Lip Insurance Lip Primer - £14.50

Too Faced isn't a brand I have much from but I love their packaging and their products. The things I have tried from them are great quality and I always find myself swatching their products when I go into Boots. I thought I'd show you what I'm currently wishing for from the brand, and hopefully you find things that you also want!

Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette - £24
Too Faced does loads of these eyeshadow kits, there's smokey eye kits, natural eye kits, matte eye kit and more. I really love the look of all of the kits and wish I could get my hands on every single one of them, they all have great reviews and beautiful packaging. I really like the look of the Romantic palette as it contains really wearable colours but is a bit different to your normal nude palette.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance - Glitter Glue -£17
Too Faced Shadow Insurance is a best-selling eye primer from Too Faced often hailed as a HG along with Urban Decay Primer Potion. When I came across this version I was really intriguied. It's supposed to 'lock down' glitter and enhance it's colours. I really liked the sound of this has haven't heard of anything similar.

Too Faced Sweetheart Beads - Radiant Glow Face Powder - £26
Ok I'm not going to deny that the packaging of this is what caught my attention. It's supposed to illuminate the skin and can layered for intensity. I love the look of this and don't own anything like it in my collection. I have highlighters but I've never tried loose pearls or anything like it.

Too Faced Glamour To Go - £19
I have a previous version of this kit and I loved it. It's really tiny so really easy to carry around with you. It contains 8 x Eyeshadows, 1 x Bronzer, 1 x Blusher and 1 x Lipgloss. This is a great little face kit which is ideal if you are going somewhere and need to travel really lightly. The products are all great quality too. I particularly loved the blush in the last kit and completely finished it. If you are new to Too Faced it's also a great chance to try out a few of their products too.

Too Faced Brow Envy Kit - £28
I currently only use a £1 eyebrow pencil to do my brows and although it does the trick I've always wanted to do more with my brows. I really love this kit because it comes with everything you need. I've also read quite a few reviews which have said that the stencils in this kit are superb for creating different brow looks.

Too Faced Brightening Blush - La Vie En Rose - £16.50
The blush I completely used up in my Glamour to Go kit was La Vie En Rose and I really want to purchase it in it's full size. I love this blush, it's a gorgeous rose colour that just looks really flattering on the cheeks. It is also really good quality and so easy to work with.

Too Faced Primed and Poreless - Bronze Tint - £24 
I've never tried Too Faced Primers but I've heard that Primed and Poreless is one of their best selling products. Having read reviews and the description it sounds really similar to the bronzing primer that Bourjois bought out in the summer. I think this would be a great product for next summer.

Too Faced 3 Way Lash Lining Tool - £18
A couple of brands have been bringing out these 3 way liners and I'm really interested in them. Instead of one brush they are 3 very thin and small tips. The idea is that you can use these to dot inbetween lashes to make your eyelashes look naturally thicker. They are also supposed to make doing liquid liner ultra easy as you can simply dot along the lash line. I really want to try this out.

Too Faced Lip Insurance Lip Primer - £14.50
I've never used a lip primer before but I'm really interested to see if they can actually make a difference to how long your lipstick stays on. I really want to try Too Faced's edition as it's one of the best known lip primers, and all of Too Faced's primers have great reviews.

So that's it! Since doing this list I've actually found more products that I'm lusting after, including the gorgeous Sweetheart blush (here) and the Natural Kiss Palette (here). I love making these types of posts, and although chances are I might not end up getting any of these, it's nice to discover new products. Let me know what products from Too Faced you currently want, or one's you currently have that you recommend.

MAC Paintpot in 'Let's Skate!' | Review and Swatches

MAC's paintpots are a holy grail in the beauty community, they prime your eyelids while adding colour to shimmer, intensifying your eyeshadows. They come in a variety of shades but Let's Skate! is by far my favourite. I originally got this paintpot as part of a limited edition holiday collection (which is why the packaging is white and not black), and I limited myself to using it as I didn't want to run out of it, thankfully though, MAC has added this shade to its permanent line.

Pigmentation:
The pigmentation on this is good. It is a very pale pink, it is hard to get it to show up on my skin because I am so pale, but for those of you with a darker complexion, the pink will be easier to see. Because of my pale skin, I love how this can give me a quite natural, but shimmer eye. This is a very shimmery paintpot, the shimmer does come out on your lids. There is no fall out, but people will be able to notice the shimmer. If you want to wear it on it's own, the shimmer won't be a subtle sheen. I like to wear this under cool-tonned shimmery eyeshadows. My favourite eyeshadow to wear over this is Urban Decay's Sin. The two go really well together, and the paintpot intensifies the shimmer in Sin.

Lasting Power:
Like all MAC paintpots, this lasts all day on me. I've even worn this on it's own before because I love the colour, and although on its own it won't last all day (around 6-8 hours of wear), with primer underneath it, it will last all day. Without a primer, the shimmer will last but the pale pink shade will fade a bit. I don't have oily eyelids, so that is something to keep in mind.

Application:
This is really easy to apply. I use my fingers to apply it as I find it easier to apply and quicker. However, you can also use a synthetic brush to apply it. The product is creamy and so easy to apply to the lid, if you have very dry lids I would moisturise them a bit first, as application can be hindered if your lids are dry. On the majority of eyelids though, this product applies well and has a very creamy texture.

Availability and Pricing:
MAC Let's Skate! and the rest of the range of their paintpots are available for £15.00 at MAC Cosmetics.

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