MUA Matte Palette | Review and Swatches

I've been a bit naughty... I've had this palette for well over a month and still haven't reviewed it! Ooops! Well, here is my review, and I must admit, this palette's a good'un. I wasn't expecting to get my hands on this but I managed to find a few stashed at the back in my local Superdrug - result!

The facts are; it costs £4 (bargain!), contains 12 shades (swatched below) and is sold in Superdrug and on MUA's online website.

Unwrap (white), Butter (cream), Bare (Nude), Taffeta (Peach) , Fade (brown), Penny (bronze), Chino (taupe), Truffle ( chocolate), Fog ( dove grey) , Smoke ( black)

 As you can see, the pigmentation does vary - the lighter shades aren't as pigmented as the darker shades (but you couldn't see them anyway as they're pretty much the same colour as my skin tone!). The formula is really buttery and these shadows apply and blend really easily. For £4, just 1/3 of a pound per shadow, the quality is amazing. The packaging is just cheap, and I would have liked a mirror, but I guess more expensive packaging just makes it more expensive, right?! 

I'd definitely repurchase this palette, as the light mid-brown works great for my brows, I can create a matte smokey eye and use all the shades for blending. My mum wants one now, so I may buy her it for Christmas! It'd make a great present!

Have you tried this? What are your favourite drugstore matte eyeshadows?

Love, L X

Mini Primark Haul #7 | New Into Primark November 2013

 My last one of these primark hauls is now my most viewed post, so I thought it best to do another seeing as you all enjoyed it! I popped into primarni just before I went on holiday and this is what I bought!

Boring hair ties are first as the hair tie fairy has been stealing them during the night and I need to put my hair up - it is a serious issue when I can't find an elastic to put my hair up in, and elastic bands just don't cut it. They're £1 for 30.

 Yes, I'm that much of a sheep. I bought that scarf. I felt I deserved it as I missed out on that dress (ie red with black flowers... ohh that dress). This is a gorgeous, warm scarf that will be perfect for the winter season. I'm afraid of it bobbling though as it is 100% acrylic, but what more do you expect from Primark? The scarf was £5.

  

I could not pass up this amazing statement necklace for £3. I wore it almost everyday on holiday, it just goes with everything. The hardware is very plasticy but it isn't noticable when you're wearing it. The blue is perfect for this season, and it may be a new fave!

 Last is this jumper. I love knitwear, and primark brings it every year! This particular piece was £8 and has the perfect straight neckline for me. They have a ton of colours, from pastels to brights to these autumnal tones - the green and navy ones are defo on my birthday list.

I was in Primark today and did some serious hinting to my mother about a small pack of 4 midi rings for £1.50 and a pair of heeled office shoes for £6 - get yours now!

What have you been picking up in primark recently? Where have you been finding good knitwear?

Love, L X

Lest we forget

image c/o google

Birthday Wishlist #4 | November 2013

 Clockwise from right - Castle Season 4 | Stila Convertible Colour Trio in Cool | QI 1227 Facts Book | Pai Skincare Trial Set | No7 Cleansing Brush

As my birthday is fast approaching *two weeks eek!*, I thought it only appropriate to write a quick wishlist of a few things I'm lusting after. Hint, hint, nudge, nudge parents!

 

What's In My Bag? Autumn 2013 Edition | COLLAB with Beauty By Alicee

Can you believe that after nearly a year of blogging I haven't uploaded a What's in my bag? post? *gasp!* Well, today I am and it's even more special as it's a collab with my friend Alice from Beauty By Alicee; she's fab and has a youtube channel as well. She'll be linked at the end of the post so be sure to check out her blog and subscribe to her youtube too!

To clarify, this is what's in my handbag, not schoolbag, but if you'd like to see one of those let me know in a comment below x

Let's start with the random, boring bits. I carry a wallet, obviously, and my bright green one is from Monki and is perfect. I also carry a folder and pencil case in case I need to write anything down/collect any papers - this doesn't mean that pens and paper don't roll about the floor of my handbag though! Lists and biros are everywhere! My watch ends up in my bag by the end of the day as well as any rings I'd been wearing and my glasses. My phone, keys and ipod are essential, as well as my train tickets and oyster card. A nail file and sweets are always handy also.

Now for the beauty bits! As you can see, I carry an excessive amount of lip products - I count 7, with 3 revlon lip butters! Elizabeth! I need hand sanitizer, as well as tissues and a tangle teezer. A comb is useful for pesky flyaways and so is my Bumble and Bumble Thickening Hairspray for touch-ups. I carry a spoolie and Real Techniques Buffing Brush just in case my makeup slides. When waiting around, I carry hand cream and my cutipen to give myself a little manicure - always a treat! The little pot contains some spot treatment/moisturiser for those days!

What do you carry in your handbag? How many lip products are you hoarding?

Love, L X

Alice

Blog: http://beautybyalicee.blogspot.co.uk/

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/BeautyByAlicee

October Beauty Favourites | MUA, Rimmel, Seventeen, L'Oreal and more!

 Stop - beauty favourites time! I've bought a few bits this month so it's a mix of newbies and oldies.

 The Real Techniques Contour Brush has been blending out under eye concealer and setting it with powder this month. Now I get it! 

elf's stipple brush has come in so handy for face powder, bronzer and blusher - I may need another one!

Bronzer is always too dark or muddy for my pale hue but MUA's Bronzed Perfection is bronzer perfection! It is matte enough for contour, light enough for my skintone and not too pigmented so doesn't look muddy.

The L'Oreal Colour Infallibles always intrigued me, but the UK shades are poop so I went on amazon and picked Pebble Grey, Bronze Godess and Coconut Shake - all are pretty but Coconut Shake is the perfect eyeshadow base colour/highlight for under the brow.

The NYC Eyebrow Pencil in Taupe is super long, which is great as I'll use it all up. The perfect shade and waxy texture make my eyebrows stay on all day and look natural.

Soap and Glory's Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Balm in Bashful is the most wearable pink glossy shade for everyday and the vanilla scent is to die for!

Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation has been on my face, waking me up this month. I love the glow and sheen it leaves.

I was in need of a new primer, and Seventeen's new Flawless Poreless Primer filled the position - a review will be up this month explaining why it's fabitty fab.

elf's flawless concealer brush makes my concealer flawless and is great for blending eyeshadow - a real multi-tasker!

Look Stay Put Powder is great for mattifying and setting my makeup as it keeps it there all day and blurs pores.

What are your October faves? Any products match with mine?

Love, Lizzie x

October Random Favourites | TV, MUSIC, NAILS, ETC

Considering the popularity of my last random favourites post, I thought I'd do another - this time involving nails and music.

I'm not allowed to wear nail polish to school but I like to keep my talons in good condition using the Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover. I have quite alright cuticles but this helps in keeping them ship-shape. During the mufti day and brief holiday nail-polish wearing period, I opted to paint my nails with Nail Inc. 'All Saints Road' - a gorgeous royal blue colour that makes me stare at my nails non stop. For a different type of manicure, I've loved the NYC Matte Me Crazy Top Coat (fragrancedirect)  for leather-look nails.

There's always a shortage of lined paper in our house but my grandma has no use for the crazy amounts of refil pads my grandad left behind so she gave loads to us. I've been writing everything down and am becoming a much more organised person (says girl at desk so cluttered you can barely turn the computer on).

For TV, I'm still watching Some Girls and wishing Viva and Rocky back together. I've also been loving The Ginge, the Geordie and the Geek, though I am only on episode 2 and the X Factor (which you already know if you've read my X Factor post).

Luke Friend and The 1975 has been all that's been playing this month - I listen to it on the way to school, from school, on the train, tram, bus, in my room. The 1975's Chocolate is a firm fave as well as Luke Friend's cover of Sex by The 1975 *raises eyebrows*.

What have you been loving? Who is your X Factor fave?

Love, Lizzie x

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Moisturising Shampoo and Condtioner Review

 A little while ago my aunt gave me 3 John Frieda shampoos and conditioners *thanks!* but I've only just started to use them. These are the best out of the ones I was given (go blonder and the purple ones).

These aren't sulphate free so any of you anti-sulphates girls - shield your eyes!

 The shampoo is pretty average - it cleans my hair! It does add some moisture but not tonnes. The conditioner is very lightweight and thin so I was not expecting anything special but this is really moisturising and my hair has been shinier than usual! 

Overall, I like these ut won't be repurchasing as I wish to try other things that are cheaper and probably better - sorry!

Have you tried these? What do you think?

Love, Lizzie x