Ta Ta Turquoise!

One of my favourite colours is turquoise but I always shy away from it when it comes to eye make-up for some reason, I do usually stick to neutrals and earthy tones, but I thought to myself today: 'why not?!'

Spring is mean't to be approaching (not that the weather has caught up though!) so it's the time for pastels and easter egg colours, and why not incorporate that into make-up as well as clothes?

So I thought I'd share what I came up with, with you all :)

Face

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation in NC20

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NC20

Avon MagiX Illuminator in Light

G-Spot Translucent Loose Powder in LP 01

Rimmel London Renew & Lift Brightening Powder in 100 Ivory 

Cheeks

Bare Minerals Blush in Tickled

New CID i-blush Highlighter

Eyes

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Avon Big Colour Eyeshadow Duo Pencil in Hint of Mint

Marks and Spencer Per Una Eyeshadow Pallette (used the three shades above)

Avon Glimmerstick Liqui-glide Eyeliner in Black

Bare Minerals Round The Clock Waterproof Eyeliner in Midnight

Bare Minerals Flawless Definition Curl & Lengthen Mascara

Lips

Body Shop Wild Cherry Lip Butter

Avon Ultra Rich Colour Lipstick in Pout

New CID Lip Gloss in Candyfloss

I hope you all like the look :D

and if you would like to see any other looks comment below and I will try my best to show my interpretation of it :)

Love,

Star x

New CID Make-Up Products Haul Review

I have just recently discovered new CID products, and had a bit of a naughty moment and purchased a few products :P

After trying them out I was very pleasantly surprised! Having not heard of new CID before, I had seen the light-up lip gloss in a magazine a while ago and thought it seemed a good idea. When I saw it on QVC Shopping Channel I thought I would purchase a selection of products and see what they were like (for reviewing purposes of course… :D)

i-blush

Light-Up Blusher & Highlighter Compact

As you can see by the pictures I have used this blusher quite a bit already, and that’s for a good reason. The blusher is a rose/pink colour with a touch of gold shimmer through it and is really flattering on my yellow toned skin; I can imagine it would be on most skin tones. The highlighter gives a lovely glow to the skin and isn’t glittery at all. They are both super pigmented and have to be applied with a light hand to avoid coco-the-clown face as I realised the first time I used it haha!

The Light-Up compact is a good concept, but I personally haven’t found a time to use it yet even though it is a permanent handbag fixture now.

i-shadow

The Eye Shadow Quad consists of four shimmer eye-shadows. One pearly pink, one taupe packed with silver shimmer, and two plum purples, however one is packed with gold/bronze shimmer, and the other has some purple/pink shimmer through it. They all apply really well and are almost creamy; in fact, they have a similar texture to sleek eye shadows. These are also super pigmented and you only need to pick up a small amount on the brush. I would suggest using an eye shadow primer before using them because I found it made the colours really intense and would not budge from applying in the morning until removing at night, and even then it looked like it had just been applied.  They all work together really well and in particular if used all together they create a smouldering smoky eye. Here are some swatches below:

i-gel

This long- wear gel eyeliner trio consists of Emerald, Indigo and Midnight Blue. I found that they all stayed on all day and into the evening. They were easy to apply with the brush provided and I could achieve different thicknesses of lines and winged out lines easily. It’s a little bit fiddly if you’re in a rush, but if you have time to perfect it then you’re fine and dandy : ) Personally, Indigo (the purple one) is my favourite, and works best with my green eyes, but I do like to match a neutral eye and Midnight Blue eye liner with a red lip (but it would really suit blue or brown eyes). The Emerald would suit hazel eyes with a pale pink contrasting lip or a vampy plum colour. Here are some swatches:

i-flutter

This mascara is meant to lenghten and separate lashes and I found it did lenghten and seperate them but it didn't really volumise them much. It did lengthen my lashes and it did provide the 'dolly' lash look after a few coats which I love, but I do prefer the volumised and thick lash look on myself. The brush is medium sized and grabs small lashes really well, especially the bottom ones, but if you love long length mascaras then I would reccomend it highly.

i-gloss

This gloss is in the shade Raspberry Kiss. It's a berry pink gloss with purple/blue shimmer shot through it, which I have noticed is very whitening for your teeth aswell as being an all round flattering colour on every skin tone. I found that if used alone it gives a lovely sheer colour to the lips and can go with a multitude of make-up looks, but also gives berry and red lipsticks extra dimension too. Again the LED light in the applicator is a good concept but I haven't found a time to use it yet, but there is a mirror on the side of the tube that is handy when applying. Here is a swatch of the gloss:

i-gloss

Lip Gloss Collection

These shimmer lip glosses have a non-sticky formula and have a great selection of colours that can suit everyone. They are all sheer and provide a wash of colour rather than concentrated rich colour.

The shades are (from far left):
Starlight - a glittery clear gloss perfect on it's own or can liven up any lipstick.

Candyfloss - a barbie pink with silver and pink glitter through it, a shade that can go with most looks, but I have found it compliments pastels like aqua or turquoise eyeshadows.

Coconut Ice - a nude shimmer that would be perfect with a smoky eye or 60's look.

Spice Berry - a sheer, subtle berry shade perfect for anyone who wants to start experimenting with lip colours.

Honey Pot - a two toned pink/amber-gold (and also my favourite) that perks up my complexion when I'm having an off day :)

Tickled Pink - a peachy pink that will suit any skin tone.

I also love the white packaging of the products, it looks sleek and sophisticated. I was scared at first they might start to look grubby if they are kept in my make-up bag but so far they still look fairly new, I think the type of finish is resistant to getting dirty if that makes sense? :) I will show a look using the products all together (and they all work well together too) and they all work well with the other products in my beauty regime. I have also seen they have a product called i-glow which is a mineralised skin finish that looks gorgeous and that is definitely next on my shopping list, I can't wait to try it! Has anyone else tried any new CID products at all, especially the i-glow, I would love to know your opinions before I purchase please? :)

Love

Star x

Leighton Denny Expert Nails - The Out Of This World Collection Review

My mum had given me a Leighton Denny Expert Nails – The Out Of This World Collection for Christmas and I thought I would do a review to let you all know what I thought of it. It includes:

A Silver Vanity Bag

This metallic silver bag is a nice size to fit all of the contents of the collection with room to spare. It feels like a good quality bag and I love love love the star print lining inside! There is also some embossed detail on the bottom corner of the bag which is pretty too.

Miracle Mist (75ml)

I had high hopes for this product and I was not disappointed! I am not the most patient person when it comes to waiting for my nails to dry, and anything that helps speed up that process is always welcome. I found this really effective and thought it worked a treat in drying my nails quickly and helps prevent smudges. I usually find that similar freeze dry sprays are a bit greasy or oily but there was absolutely no residue whatsoever. The instructions say to spray each nail for 2 seconds, wait 60 seconds and then repeat, however I found that I didn’t need to spray for the full 2 seconds, but it may vary for different people or nail polishes. I’m not 100% sure if this is the standard size for the Miracle Mist or if it’s a trial size for the collection but my only criticism is to make it bigger.

Four Nail Colours and One for All (12ml)

There are four nail colours in this collection, two opaque gloss colours and two metallic colours. Saturn Seduction is a dark blood red gloss which is a classic, but has been seen on a lot of catwalks this season. I have not yet tried this colour but I can’t wait to try it, it would be perfect with a LBD or standout against nude or camel outfits. Supermauva is a lilac metallic with a sheen of a gold/green, which is an unusual but pretty twist to a standard lilac, perfect for spring. Your Planet Or Mine? Is a dark metallic teal shot through with a purple sheen which is a statement colour in itself, and when I wore it I received a few comments asking ‘where did I get it from?’ and how nice it was, it’s definitely my favourite nail colour from the collection. Zero Gravity is a neutral pale grey gloss which is ultra shiny and perfect for any occasion. Though I would say it’s perfect for day-to-day wear but also glossy enough for evening too. One For All is a base coat, top coat, ridge filler and clear gloss coat, and I have used it as a base coat and top coat. I found it to be really chip resistant, and I’m a bit clumsy with my nails! A manicure lasts a good 3-5 days without chipping and even then it was only small chips that weren’t that noticeable, so all in all I could get away with about 8-10 days without removing it.

And finally my favourite product...

Large Crystal Nail File

I am always looking for a solution to my flaky, peeling nails, and have tried many types of nail files, I have used emery boards, metal files and glass files but none have worked. But I have to say that this nail file has helped sooo much! The instructions state you can use it back and forth unlike other nail files which you can only use one way and it won’t damage the nail – which I found to be true! It files so easily and seals the nail securely so it doesn’t leave any jagged edges. It is meant to last years too, apparently the instructions say just run it under water and it renews the surface of the file, so I will update you about that. So far I have been really happy with the results, I am really forgetful so I’m not too religious with it but I am definitely seeing an improvement, but I am planning to step it up a gear and remember to do it every couple of days and see if they get even better. The only criticism I have is that when you first start using it, if you file at a wrong angle or put too much pressure on whilst filing, it can make a squeaky noise that you can feel in your bones…haha! But once I got to grips with using it, it has more or less stopped.

So personally I would definately recommend this collection to any newcomers to Leighton Denny products like me, because it contains their hero product (the crystal nail file), and that in itself is enough to buy it. I think I will be repurchasing the One For All when it runs out because I have been using it with all of my nail polishes, and works just as well with non-Leighton Denny products.

It just proves mum knows best!

Love,

Star x

Welcome!

Hello Everyone! This is my first blog post, and I would just like to welcome everyone to my blog!

(and thank you for even viewing it :) )

I just thought I would let everyone know what to expect and what's to come:

• Step-by-Step Make-Up Tutorials
• Product Reviews
• Outfits Of The Day
• Trend Alerts!
• General Ramblings about random things and my life

and lots more...

Coming up soon: Leighton Denny The Out Of This World Collection Review

love,

Star x