Bitch Slap Cosmetics Pigments

For a while now I've been looking to add some loose pigments to my make-up collection and when someone mentioned Bitch Slap Cosmetics to me I was intrigued first off because of the colourful (and extremely random!) names for their products, these aren't names you'll be repeating to your granny! The second thing that attracted me was the price! At £4.99 a pigment I thought why not? So I bought a couple to give a try and I was pleasantly surprised when they came.

It took a little over a week for my package to come, which is does state on the website could happen if an item is out of stock so this wasn't a problem for me. I had ordered 3 pigments and a sample of another which including shipping cost me £23.82. The packaging is so different and edgy, I warn you that the names and packaging could offend some people but I think it's something fresh and a bit different and personally some of the names gave me a good laugh and I enjoy the brand as a whole. Whether or not you like the names and packaging though is irrelevant when the pigments are so beautiful and pigmented, they were just as they were described on the website and for £4.99 each, they are such bargain! 

Left to Right(first picture) - Fuck My Boss(haha), Thick Bitch By Chanel, 18K Bitch

So there you have an example of the colour names I mentioned! Fuck My Boss is genuinely the goldest gold I've ever seen, its amazing! Thick Bitch By Chanel is such a nice black with the slightest amount of shimmer but could almost pass as matte, it blends beautifully and is just a great pigment to have in your collection. 18K Bitch is a beautiful peachy champagne shimmer colour which looks beautiful as a highlight in the inner corner of the eye or the brow bone.

(Applied Wet) L - R: 18K Bitch, Fuck My Boss, Thick Bitch By Chanel

A little goes a long way so they will last you such a long time, I honestly can't speak highly enough of these pigments! I will definitely be adding more to my collection on pay day (which is slowly dragging in...).

See all the Bitch Slap Cosmetics products here

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Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

As someone who's not a big fan of sponges I was reluctant to buy the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge but as boots are still doing buy one get one half price I picked one up and I'm glad I did!

This is a multi-purpose sponge that is supposed to give a flawless finish to the skin. I've tried using both regular sponges and the beauty blender but I was never keen on them, I think they make putting on foundation take twice as long and I never liked the finish I got but after trying the Real Techniques sponge I'm sold! The flat edge makes applying foundation quick and easy and the point is great for going under the eyes and spot concealing.

I use this sponge to apply my Revlon Colour Stay foundation and I much prefer the finish it gives compared to using a brush, it gave me a much more natural finish which I loved and my face didn't feel as though it was caked in make-up which I find can happen when I apply Colour Stay with a buffing brush. I especially love this sponge because it's so soft that if you have dry or sensitive skin this won't irritate it at all or cause the skin to flake away as you can just dab the sponge over the any dry patches.

At only £4.99 I'm definitely going to get a couple more of these sponges for my kit, there a great multi purpose item to have!

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L'Oreal True Match Foundation

I was recommended this foundation by a few people who raved and raved about it and I've seen a couple of youtubers say this is their favourite drug store foundation so I thought I'd give it a try!

I bought the colour Golden Natural

So my first experience with the foundation was a bit of a disaster. I bought a shade that was too dark for me (I was in a rush when I was picking the colour!) which thanks to the terrible lighting in my room I never realised until I got to work and was then told by my lovely bf to "wash that orange stuff off my face" when he came to pick me up, so it never saw the light of day for a good while after that but once I had a bit more of a tan I decided to give it another go.

I so want to love this foundation because so many other people seem to but after many disappointed attempts I've finally given up on this working for me. Don't get me wrong when I first apply this foundation I love it! It feels so light on the skin and makes my skin feel smooth and soft but that lasts all of a couple hours before I'm a shiney mess which I really should have expected considering the description does state that it "contains 3 light, non-greasy oils". Light or not any foundation containing oils is not going to be the best thing for oily skin.

I think this foundation works best on normal to dry skin types and I would definitely use this foundation on clients with this type of skin because as I said it does go on beautifully its just that on me it doesn't stay that way.

It is not as full a coverage as say Revlon Colour Stay but it has enough coverage to cover any redness and small blemishes which has been perfect for me recently as my skin has improved a lot recently so I'm looking to try out foundations with less coverage. There are so many reasons to love this foundation but sadly it just doesn't work out for me and my oily skin!

It can be bought at Boots for £9.99

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Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow

I have been loving Maybelline recently! On one of my many trips to boots I came across the Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24hr Eye shadows I thought I'd pick some up after reading many good things about them.

The three are picked up were Eternal Gold, On and on Bronze and Pink Gold. I have been loving these cream shadows! They have a great colour pay off and act as an excellent base but also look beautiful on their own and because they are long lasting they barely crease on the eye, not at all if you place an eyeshadow over the top. They have great staying power and will definitely make your eyeshadow last a lot longer, I can't say I've worn them for 24 hours so I don't know how accurate that claim is but they definitely last 6-8 hours without creasing, they go on smoothly and are easily blended out, they are very similar to MAC Paint Pots but at a third of the price at only £4.99 they are a great thing to have in your collection!

(Left to Right in natural day light) Eternal Gold, On and on Bronze, Pink Gold) 

All of the colours have a beautiful shimmer to them, Eternal Gold and On and On Bronze are definitely my 2 favourites as these are so wearable and are colours that I wear regularly. Pink Gold is also a beautiful colour but just isn't a colour I wear often although I'm trying to use it more often!

What are your thoughts on the Maybelline Colour Tattoos? What are your favourite colours?

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MAKE-UP LOOK: Plum Smokey Eye Using Illamasqua Kit

For those of you who seen my Illamasqua Kit post and were interested to see how the products were I thought I'd do a full make-up look using Illamasqua products from the kit where I could, enjoy :)

The look is a very simple neutral face with a dark plum smokey eye. I liked this look a lot and really enjoyed using the Illamasqua products especially the foundation which made my skin look flawless, the eye shadows were a dream to blend and I LOVED the lipstick and gloss combo! I couldn't use all Illamasqua products as there were somethings not included in the kit so I substituted.

Products used:

Illamasqua Hydra Veil

Illamasqua Skin Base 08

Collection Concealer - Medium

Rimmel Stay Matte Setting Powder - Translucent

Sleek Contour Kit - Medium

Illamasqua Blush - Tremble

Illamasqua Complement Palette

Illamasqua Precision Ink - Abyss

Mac Kohl Liner - Smolder

Illamasqua Eyebrow Cake - Gaze

Illamasqua Lipstick - Test 

Illamasqua Lip gloss - Intimacy

Maybelline Falsies Mascara 

Kiss Haute Couture False Lashes

1. To prime the skin apply Illamasqua Hydra Veil and then with a buffing brush apply Illamasqua skin base for a flawless finish.
2. Apply the lightest colour in the Illamasqua Complement Palette in the inner corner of the eyelid then take the matte plum colour directly bellow and apply to the rest of the lid and blend the two colours together.
3. Take the darkest plum colour in the palette and apply to the outer corner of the eye and blend to create a smokey eye effect, keep applying and blending until you get the intensity that you want.
4. Using a small pencil brush take the darkest shade under the eye close to the lash line.
5. Apply Illamasqua Precision Ink to the top lash line and create a winged line.
6. Take Mac Smolder along the water line and tight line for a really dark look, smudge along the bottom lash line as well with a cotton bud.
7. Apply False lashes to finish the eyes.
8. There shouldn't be much fall out but if there is clean it up with a make-up wipe and then take Collection Concealer under the eyes and I used my buffing brush to blend this, then apply on to any blemishes and blend in with your finger lightly.
9. Use Rimmel Stay matte with a large powder brush to set the foundation and concealer.
10. Using your favourite brush for contour take the Sleek Contour Kit and apply under the cheek bones and to the temples, I then take a light dusting of the contour colour on a large powder brush over the rest of the face to blend everything together and to add a bit more colour to the face.
11. Apply Illamasqua Blusher in Tremble to the cheeks just above where you put the contour colour.
12. Fill in eyebrows using an angled brush and Illamasqua Eyebrow Cake in Gaze.
13. To finish off apply Illamasqua lipstick in Test and go over with their lip gloss in Intimacy.

What are your favourite Illamasqua products? 

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Barry M Hot Pink Nails

This Limited Edition Barry M Summer Nail Polish is just what the doctor ordered for my nails, it doesn't seem to have a name but it's a gorgeous Barbie hot pink that's perfect for those of us who are desperately trying to hold onto the last few days of summer and since I recently had my little boy nails transformed with the help of some acrylic I went out looking for some new nail polishes and this one immediately caught my eye. I love bright colours on my nails and this is definitely bright, I won't lie its not the best nail polish I've ever used and definitely not up to the usual Barry M standards. It's not very opaque and dries slightly matte but once you've applied a good few coats and a top coat (I applied Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat over the top which adds a great long lasting shine) it is a great summer colour and looks especially good with a tan (real or fake!). 

What's your favourite summer nail colour?

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MAKE-UP LOOK: Soft Cut Crease with Mac Glitter Reflects Antique Gold

This look was so easy to do but looks so beautiful and eye catching especially for a night out. I've this Mac glitter for so long but hadn't put it to good use yet so today I seen it sitting and decided to come up with a look where I could use it, hope you all like :)

Products Used:

Boots No.7 Gel Liner - Black

Urban Decay Naked Palette 

Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Shadow - And On Bronze

Mac Glitter - Reflects Antique Gold

Illamasqua Precision Ink - Abyss

Maybelline Falsies Mascara

Kiss Haute Couture False Lashes

Maybelline Eye Studio Master Shape Brow Pencil - Soft Brown

Illamasqua Brow Cake - Gaze

1. Create a cut create using No.7 Gel Liner and a fine liner brush.
2. Using a small brush blend the top line of the cut crease, I used the Mac 239 brush.
3. Using the same brush apply Dark Horse from the Naked Palette to the top of the cut crease and blend upwards with a fluffy brush.
4. Using a clean 239 brush or any flat brush apply Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Shadow in And on Bronze to the lid making sure it doesn't go over the cut crease line.
5. Using the same brush take the Reflects Antiqued Gold and pat over the cream shadow.
6. To create the sharp line on the outer corner of the eye I used a make-up wipe around the edge of my nail to clean up the area.
7. Using Illamasqua Precision Ink create a winged liner making sure the winged part of the liner is in line with the edge of your shadow.
8. Apply a coat of mascara to the top and bottom lashes.
9. Fill in your brows and add Virgin from the Naked Palette to highlight the brow bone.
10. To finish the look add your favourite false lashes and voila! The Look  is done :)

Please tell me if you tried this look and how you got on :)

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Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencil

I've made a recent discovery that I have to share with anyone that will listen! Last week I was in town and decided I couldn't wait any longer to get my eyebrows waxed, after the waxing I was left with bare brows and nothing to fill them back in so feeling naked without my brows I ran into boots and picked up the Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencil needing a cheap quick fix, not expecting much from it as I'm not much of a pencil fan (I was more of a powder and brush girl) and it was so cheap! But boy was I wrong, this pencil has quickly become my favourite way to fill in my brows!

Maybelline describes this pencil as being made from natural wax and containing subtle colour pigments. It is the wax in this pencil that made it stand out for me as it holds my brows in place as well as creating a defined look without looking too dark and dramatic which was why I never used brow pencils before. I find that because it is made of wax it creates a much softer natural look and the mascara spoolie on the end comes in handy to brush the wax through all the hairs into place. The master shape brow pencil is pretty long wearing, it'll last me a full day at college or work however if I'm going out for a night out where I'll be dancing (and sweating!) I'll set it with a powder from the HD brow palette to keep it in place that extra wee bit longer but at only £2.99 its a complete bargain! My only complaints with it are that there's only 2 colours in the range and that the wax goes down very quickly so I have to sharpen it after every use but this isn't a major problem as it was pretty cheap and the pros completely out weigh the cons!

Boots are currently doing a buy one get one half price deal so go check them out!

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L'Oreal Collection Privee Lipsticks

As soon as I seen the advert for L'Oreal's new Colour Riche Collection Privee I went straight out the next day and picked up 2 of the lipsticks from the collection. This collection claims to have a custom made lip colour for every skin tone, this is a great thing to have in your collection if your looking to be doing make-up on a lot of different people which is why I was so excited by the collection. Previously any lipsticks I've bought have been purely for personal use only so now that I'm building my kit to become a make-up artist these lipsticks are a good place to start.

These lipsticks have a beautiful texture, they go on smoothly with no pulling and don't dry the lips out through out the day, they almost have the texture of a MAC cremesheen lipstick. They do need a couple reapplications if you are wearing them for a long period of time but lipsticks don't?

 The first one I picked up was Doutzen Kroes-Barely Pink. This is a gorgeous pale pink and although it is too pale for me for day to day wear I think it would look amazing with a dark smokey eye for a night out. This would definitely look beautiful however on a paler skin tone all day long!

I also picked up Eva Longoria - Barely golden. This lipstick is a lovely corally/browny nude, I was instantly attracted to it and although I don't quite look like Eva Longoria in it, it makes me feel very grown up wearing it! I'm not one to wear nudes for a day time look (I prefer a pop of colour to brighten my otherwise boring day time make-up) but on darker skin tone this would be perfect with a simple day look.

What are your favourite lip colours?

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Illamasqua Kit

Quick post here to share with you all a very exciting delivery I got recently. As I'm sure all make-up lovers can imagine receiving this package was like Christmas come early for me! I'm required to purchase a make-up kit as part of my college course and I was ecstatic when I was told the kit we were to buy was from Illamasqua, this isn't a brand I normally buy from so I'm extremely excited to try out all my new products and create some looks to share :) from the quick look I've had at the products I don't think I'll be disappointed!

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Skin Saviours

After a recent breakout caused by changing my face wash I went completely back to basics in order to get my skin back to normal, it's been about 4 weeks since my break out and with religious use of these products my skin is feeling and looking a lot better, almost better than before the breakout!

So a bit about my skin, I have combination skin that is oily in the T zone and prone to dry patches not specific to any areas, these are normally caused by spot clearing products. My skin is pretty unpredictable when it comes to spots, a year or 2 ago my skin was really bad. Now my skin is mostly clear with the occasional spot here and there and the dreaded monthly break out (the joys of being a woman), but I still have a lot of red marks left from when my skin was bad. Now onto the products...

1. La Roche Posay Purifying Foaming Gel - This cleanser has been my saviour for a long time, this was the first cleanser I used that helped my skin it almost completely cleared my skin up when it was at its worst. It doesn't dry out the skin like some acne products do and as it's a gel cleanser for oily skin it doesn't cause the skin to become overly oily and I believe it has helped control my oils. I don't know all the science behind it all I know is that it works for me! It is soap and paraben free so perfect for sensitive skin and at about £10 it's not too expensive, it's definitely worth the money!

2. Botanics Radiant Youth Microdermabrasion Polish - I bought this a long time ago and after a few uses forgot about it but when my skin broke out it was feeling pretty rough and bumpy and got very dried out so I started using this again to help remove the flaky skin and dead skin cells. As it is meant to be a microdermabrasion product the grains are much smaller and there are a lot more of them than in most normal exfoliators which gives a better exfoliation. After using this my skin always feels so soft and smooth and I actually think that now I have been using this almost a month it has helped fade some of my red marks!

3. Hydraluron - This product is raved about all over the Internet so I wont go on about this too much. I bought this after reading loads about it on blogs and youtube and I have not been disappointed, my skin feels softer and plumper, just healthier in general!

4&5. E45 Intense Recovery Moisturiser & Eucerin Replenishing Face Cream - These are my go-to moisturisers. I bought the E45 moisturiser when my skin was extremely dry and sore and have just kept using it as my night time moisturiser to keep my skin soft and flake free. The Eucerin Replenishing Cream is my day time moisturiser as it's not as thick and heavy as the E45 cream and works well to keep my face from going patchy during the day from drying out :)

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Boots/Drug Store Haul: Revlon, L'Oreal, Rimmel...

So after a long days work I went into Boots feeling extremely sorry for myself and decided I needed some retail therapy (any excuse!). Here are the little treats I picked up...

L'Oreal Hair Expertise Ever Strong Reinforcing & Vitality Shampoo and Conditioner - A couple years ago for some crazy reason I decided I would get a bob, they look amazing on some people but unfortunately I am not one of these people! I hated it and it scarred me for life, I've been terrified to get my haircut ever since which has resulted in my now very long (past my boobs!) hair becoming dry and brittle after various different hair colours over the years and only a handful of haircuts. After reading a lot good things about this haircare range I decided to give it a go and hope it will help my hair in some way so that I don't have to get it all chopped off again. These also contain no sulphates which is very good for the hair as it stops all the natural oils being stripped from the hair the way some shampoos with sulphates do when you are washing your hair,
I am on a healthy hair mission as of now!

L'Oreal Hair Expertise Ever Strong and Ever Riche Nourishing Hair Masks - I'm never one to miss a bargain and as all the L'Oreal Hair products were 2 for £9 I decided to pick up 2 masks instead of one. So I got the Ever Strong mask in keeping with my other purchases and then decided on the Ever Riche Nourishing mask just to give my hair some extra nourishment.

The last things I got were some make-up bits. My favourite drug store powder - Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder in translucent as I my current one smashed into a thousand pieces :( and as Revlon are still doing 2 for £10 on all Lip products I picked up another Colour Burst Lip Butter in Pink Lemonade and a Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Lovers Coral, which after swatching it I am disappointed to say is not really a lipstick at all but more of a lip butter consistency. I know I should have swatched it in the shop but I just saw the colour and had to have it! Won't be making that mistake again. 

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