My Essie Nail Polish Collection

I love collecting Essie nail polishes they're my favourite brand and while slightly overpriced at £7.99 a nail polish you can't beat them on quality, colour range and slick packaging I hope to one day own the full stand (wishful thinking for a student over here). I thought I would share with you the range that I have collected so far I love treating myself to a new Essie polish as they have the most delightful colours and charming names to match.

 You know when you go in Boots for one thing then the offers catch you and into the beauty vortex you go this past week there was an offer that if you bought 2 Essie polishes you got this winter collection for free well I mean I was already buying one so another one wouldn't hurt. 

This set includes 'Tuck It In My Tux' which is a creamy white great for French manicure tips or a sheer wash over your nails for a classy 9-5 look wear with a chiffon shirt for added Parisienne. 

No photo will ever truly get across the gleaming gold of 'Jiggle Hi Jiggle Lo' which is your ultimate party trick wear on your ring finger for an indent of Friday night dancing throughout the week.

The incredibly seductive deep red of 'Jump In My Jumpsuit' combines classic glamour with late night tease this is the only accessory you'll need for date night or a weekly manicure for the brave.

My first Essie nail polish and all time classic is 'Sand Tropez' the everyday beige nude which works for all seasons if you're going to buy one Essie polish invest in this one it will carry you through day to night I like to put one sheer coat on for natural glossy nails.

'Urban Jungle' is a purple based nude with cool undertones that suit all skin tones a great polish for those 'in-between' seasons which leave us all in a tizzy. 

'Cocktail Bling' is a classic evening purple-grey that is a completely unique colour definitely going to get you noticed but don't give this secret away we couldn't have all your friends wearing 'your colour' of the season even the name gets you in the mood for Saturday night mojitos!

You've got your beach body ready, picked out the perfect bikini now what to paint your nails? Choose 'Bikini So Teeny' not just for the suitable name but the mermaid-esque purple-blue with slight silver shimmer will get you in beach mode faster than you can say 'sun'.

The perfect January colour the dark green with blue undertones of 'Mind Your Mittens' will show that you're ready for winter, wrap up with a scarf and you're good to go brave the cold.

'Merino Cool' provides you with a warm wash of purple with brown undertones now wouldn't this colour look great holding your hot chocolate I bet you feel warmer already!

Christmas sparkly nails are a must and 'A Stroke of Brilliance' makes sure that you're the only shining star in the room, use on a indent finger to show some festive spirit.

'Mint Candy Apple' is the perky colour for Spring the perfect pastel mint green looks great on all skin tones all the bloggers love it and for good reason.

Create the perfect French manicure with 'Mademoiselle' a delicate sheer pink that glosses over your nails adding a sheen of sophistication.

A warm feminine rose pink with red undertones to add warmth to your nails in the colder months 'Eternal Optimist' looks great with one sheer coat or build up to get those English Rose nails.

A stunning rose gold glitter which paints like a mosaic 'A Cut Above' will take your breath away even if just on one indent finger this shines bright under light making sure everyone in the room takes notice.

A hot pink with silver shimmer 'Madison Ave-hue' calls for those girls with young hearts wanting a fun polish to complete their outgoing personality.

My favourite summer colour is 'Sunday Funday' this is a bright orange with gold shimmer guaranteed to make others green with envy over your coral mani who's up for sunset drinks at the beach?!

I'd love to know your favourite Essie colours I can't wait to keep building my collection, let me know in the comments!

My MAC Palette - Swatches and Reviews

First of all an apology to my hiatus from blogging but the deadlines from university came and required my complete attention for two months and for paying £9k a year I would like to try and get a career in the fashion industry but alas my return features a blog post I have been itching to do ever since I saw MAC eyeshadows.

I would like to introduce you to one of my most prized possessions my MAC eyeshadow palette...

...she's a beauty isn't she?! 

I'm a huge make up lover and I do like to invest (yes it is an investment) my money in make up as I take joy in deciding which face of the day I would like to put on and it is my little sanctuary for 20 minutes (or an hour in some cases). I decided that I wanted to start my MAC palette in October 2013 as I felt my style had matured and I wanted a swanky new palette full of my favourite shadows to go with that and I had been drooling over the MAC shadows for long enough and made notes from bloggers recommendations of which shadows I would like in my palette. 

Top Row (L-R) - Blanc Type, Omega, Charcoal Brown, Woodwinked, Mystery

Middle Row (L-R) - Nylon, Coquette, Sumptuous Olive, Green Smoke, Concrete

Bottom Row (L-R) - Vanilla, Naked Lunch, All That Glitters, Print, Carbon

I knew that in my palette I wanted to have a range of shadows that could be used for brows as I change my hair colour often my brows need to match that so I have quite a lot of matte browns as it would be easier for me to have all my different brow colours in one palette for travelling and needn't carry lots of products around. The three main looks I wanted to have in my palette was a brown smokey eye, dark green neutrals and a classic grey smoked eye with highlighters, base, crease and corner shadows for each look and the brow colours also worked into these looks.

Top Row Swatches

Blanc Type - My first shadow bought is my perfect base neutraliser, great pigmentation and really brightens the  eyes up.

Omega - This create the perfect natural crease used with Blanc Type as a base one of my favourites for everyday use

Charcoal Brown - This is a great brow colour for me and to use in the corner for a matte brown eye.

Woodwinked - Adds a lovely warmth to the eyes I use this in the corner and crease blending in circle motion and bringing it under the eyes to make them more defined.

Mystery - If I had to pick one shadow from the palette it would be this as its my brow colour and a perfect brown smokey eye or even as a brown liner.

Middle Row Swatches

Nylon - This is a beautiful yellow toned shimmer I love using this on the inner corners to make eyes pop, highly recommended.

Coquette - This works great with Omega for a defined crease to make hazel eyes stand out.

Sumptuous Olive - A great shimmer shade for hazel eyes.

Green Smoke - Use with Sumptuous Olive in the corner for a shimmery look that makes hazel and brown eyes stop traffic.

Concrete - Great blending choice for matte browns works with many different looks.

Bottom Row Swatches

Vanilla - Slightly shimmery a great brow bone highlighter and base colour works well with pink toned shadows.

Naked Lunch - A light, feminine pink great for softening the eyes and works well with All that Glitters.

All That Glitters - Stunning shimmery pink with champagne highlights, highly pigmented.

Print - The 'do it all' smokey eye buildable colour and easy to blend, use with Vanilla as a base to create a smokey eye that will last all day and night.

Concrete - Matte black use carefully to deepen a smokey eye or as a liner adds high definition to the eyes.

This concludes my MAC palette I'm really happy with all the shadows I have and the ability to create so many different looks in one customised palette I can't wait to start the next one although maybe after I graduate and can afford one! 

What are your favourite MAC shadows, let me know in the comments?!

Autumn Beauty Favourites

Autumn has finally settled in the beautiful colours of the leaves changing have inspired my make up selection for this season and we are are slowly getting closer to my favourite holiday of the year - Halloween! 

The pieces I have picked out are what I put into my everyday make up bag that add a little something special to my regular everyday make up along with my Autumn scent.

Victorias Secret Pure Seduction Fragrance Mist - $14

When in Victorias Secret picking up gifts for friends there was an offer to get another bottle of their fragrance mists for half price as I had been wearing their 'Coconut Passion' all through summer I decided to pick a more floral fragrance for Autumn. After smelling them all I decided on 'Pure Seduction' this is described as 'a passionate romance of succulent red plum and sweet freesia' and smells divine this is a fragrance you can get lost in as the heavenly floral notes entice you to a romantic daydream which will get you many compliments from by passers. 

 DiorSkin Star Foundation (Shade 012) - £32

I like to wear a light coverage foundation to let me skin breathe for daily use so I bought this new Dior foundation as it gives light reflecting properties with a satin finish this foundation looks amazing on skin thats clear although if you are prone to breakouts I'd recommend using a concealer for those areas. It gives a healthy golden wash of colour to my face and still lets your skin feel like skin.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo's in Pomegranate and Pink Gold - £4.99 each

I love using cream based eyeshadows for lazy days and these shades are great for Autumn and look even better combined, they last all day don't move and the shimmer looks beautiful when the light reflects from it.

Loreal Perfect Slim Super Liner - £6.99

I'm never without my signature black liquid cat eye in Autumn and this Loreal liner does the trick perfectly and easily I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to try liquid liner the pen form makes it really easy to control as it has a thin nib.

Chanel Le Volume De Chanel Mascara in Noir - £25

For special occasions I use my favourite mascara to add a touch of chanel to any look this is the 'Do It All' mascara from natural flirty lashes to 'Is she wearing false lashes? But they look so real!' this is my wonder product and worth the hefty price tag.

Sleek Blush in 'Pomegranate' - £4.49

If I'm wearing simple make up and want to add a wash of colour I chose to do so with a blush this one from Sleek gives you a gorgeous berry stained cheek but only use a small amount and blend well as it's really pigmented.

MAC Creme Sheen Lipstick in 'Peach Blossom' - £15.50

When I first bought this lipstick I was going to return it as it is the same colour of my lips with just a shimmer to it and thought it wasn't worth the price tag but from being too lazy to return it I ended up wearing it a few times and really liking it for the 'my lips but better' look. This is a really easy lipstick to wear as it's more like a balm that moisturises your lips while giving them a subtle shine with a slight peachy pink tone this is really flattering on fair skin tones and my go to lipstick for autumn. 

What are you autumn beauty essentials?

Let me know in the comments

S .x

Boots Haul - Classic Favourites

You know what happens you go in Boots for one thing and come out with four at least that's what happens when I see 3 for 2 on offer and beauty is something I have a weakness with. The pieces I picked up today create my classic look that I have been wearing for years, cat eye, red lips and brightening the high points of my face.

Loreal Lumi Magique Highlighter Pen RRP £8.49

This concealer is a repurchase as if you've seen some of my tutorials I often use this to highlight my under eyes as I have unfortunately dark circles that just won't go and this product brightens them and can be used as a warm yellow toned highlighter for your face too. 

If you'd like to see how I done my nails click here.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer RRP £4.19

Another repurchase that I have been buying the past two years is this wonder product a heavy duty liquid concealer that will hide your spots/blemishes/dark circles I can't live without this concealer and is available in a shade that suits my skin (another miracle). No matter what concealer I try I always end up going back to this one and always need one in my make up bag use over a primer for a concealer that won't budge all day there's a reason there's so many bloggers love this product.

Loreal Super Liner Perfect Slim RRP £6.99

Whenever someone asks me which eyeliner should they get I always recommend this one it's my favourite as it's easy and quick to use gives you a jet black liner look and when used with an eye primer stays all day, this is my secret weapon for cat eyes.

Loreal Color Riche Pure Red Collection in 'Blake' RRP £6.99

I had already picked two Loreal products so when I saw the new Pure Red lipsticks I decided to treat myself to a new red lipstick as this would be free from the offer I immediately chose 'Blake's' red as this is a colour that flatters me most. The packaging of these lipsticks are much more luxurious than a standard drugstore lip product the black croc textured packaging with gold accents make you feel a million dollars and the formula is moisturising with great staying power and has a satin finish with a subtle shine when the light hits your lips. 

What are your staple make up products that you have to repurchase?

Let me know in the comments!

Steph

Radiant Daytime Make Up Tutorial

I've created this make up look for a transitional look from Summer into Fall with light neutral smokey eyes and bright pink undertones to highlight the face and create a dewy, radiant face that captures this time of year perfectly.

Don't worry if you don't have the exact products that I'm using just use something similar that you have already!

I've recently been suffering with lots of spots and redness so to combat that I moisturised my face first then used my new MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation which is a high coverage foundation and has SPF 15 great for this time of year when the sun is still out to protect your skin.

I squeeze a small amount onto my beauty blender from Real Techniques then blend onto my face and down my neck, I keep repeating this until I have full coverage of my face, I've found this foundation quite drying so I'd recommend a dewy moisturiser beforehand. 

As I have dark under eye circles I always need to use a high coverage concealer like this Collection Lasting Perfection one but you might prefer a lighter concealer when using a high coverage foundation.

I use my Real Techniques Expert Face brush to blend my concealer.

This has provided me with enough coverage to hide any redness and blemishes but still giving a natural look.

I always use the wax part of Benefits Brow Zings to fill in my brows as I like the colours and how the formula holds my brows in place all day.

I've been growing my brows back out as I guiltily over plucked so I fill them in with a sharp angled brush in short strokes.

I've been setting my brows with a clear brow gel, like the one from Natural Collection.

If I want my eye make up to last all day and night I prime my eye lids with the Nars eyeshadow primer, I'm choosing MAC's 'Nylon' as a highlight for the inner corners of the eyes, on the base and the brow bone as the yellow tones brighten the eyes.

I use a blending shadow brush (e.g. MAC 217) for this then brush it first onto the inner corners then build onto the base of the eye and highlight my brow bone.

Using 'Liar' from Urban Decays Naked 3 palette I blended it in the corners and crease, blending it out to smoke into the 'Nylon' shade I applied just before, this bronze shadow adds some colour and radiance to the face.

Using the shade 'Factory' from the image pictured before I blended this into the corner and slightly into the crease to give some depth to the eyes. 

I used the shade 'Blackheart' pictured above with a sharp angled brush to line the top and bottom eyes and to create a cat eye flick then I blended it out with a shadow brush.

I curled my lashes then applied my Maybelline Falsies mascara on the top and bottom lashes, using a black mascara intensifies the darker eye shadow and highlights the eye colour more.

I then applied a luminous highlighter pen and blended with a flat sided foundation brush to brighten areas of the face.

I used my MAC Mineralise Skin Finish Powder to set the make up with a large powder brush, this powder gives a golden glowy look to the skin.

I then contoured the cheekbones with my Nars Laguna Bronzer which has delicate flecks of shimmer in it to add a natural highlight to the face.

I then added some pink blush to my cheeks using a stippling brush and a shimmery peach nude lipstick to complete the look.

This is a really feminine look that's great for work, during the day and switch the peach lipstick to a raspberry red for night!

The glowing shimmers in these products give you a dewy summer glow, the pink tones lift the face and the smokey cat eye defines your eyes, pretty easy and quick to do this has been my go-to make up look for August.

Let me know any make up tricks you'd like the know how on in the comments!