Outfit and makeup of the day #1

So, I actually remembered to take a picture of my outfit today! So here is my first outfit of the day.

I didn't do much today, I just popped out to see my little cousins who I haven't seen for at least 6 years! The last time I saw them they were 3 and 4 years old, and now they are all 'grown up'!!

Anyway, here is what I wore.

I wore a fake leather jacket that I got from Primark AGES ago, literally years ago! A Bart Simpson big baggy top from H&M. And, a pair of black and dark grey stripy jeans from Republic a few years ago. I also wore a pair of black dolly shoes from Primark, the ones that are in my haul post from yesterday! They are so comfy! And despite being new they didn't rub at all. 

Briefly, the main things I used on my face were, Makeup Forever Step 1 Smoothing Primer, the Vichy Dermablend foundation, MAC Pro Longwear concealer and transparent finishing powder, MUA power brow, Benefit Gimme Brow, MUA Moziac bronzer, Maybelline Master Skulpt Contour powder, Milani Illuminating Face Powder in Beauty's Touch for blush, brown in the crease of my eye lid, a light pink shimmery colour in the center and MUR Foil Eyeshadow in Rose Gold on the inner corners, Elizabeth Arden mascara and MAC Velvet Teddy on the lips.

That's it :)

Remember to check out my Twitter and Instagram, my username for both is oxMakeupAddict. And my Facebook page, it's called Diary and Confessions of a Makeup Addict.

Also check out my first ever YouTube video! My boyfriend did my makeup! Link in the blog post titled- FIRST EVER YOUTUBE VIDEO... Or search Diary and Confessions of a Makeup Addict. And please subscribe to my channel too! The more of you that subscribe the more videos I will do as I will know that people actually want to see them :) 

Thanks for reading,

Love, Abbie

<3

My Makeup Starter Kit Essentials...

Hey everyone, today I am giving you a blog post on what I think are makeup starter kit essentials.

I would still consider myself as a starter in the makeup world, so I do not think I am a professional at all, but I just thought, if you're on a budget and you want to start buying more makeup, or have a kit that enables you to do a whole full face of makeup, or even an everyday look, then these would be the products AND brushes I'd recommend.

I have tired to keep it to products that you can buy in shops rather than online, as I know some people would prefer to buy makeup in a store. I also didn't want to suggest mostly stuff that can be bought in a shop and then a couple of things from different online shops, so then you'd need to spend money on postage, which can be annoying if you only want to buy one or two things.

I genuinely love all of these products too and I'd never recommend products that I don't like, or I don't think are worth the money, no matter how cheap they are. 

 Firstly, the best primer that I'd recommend is the L'Oreal Nude Magique Blur Cream. It probably won't be much of a surprise to some of you either, as I have raved about this product before. You can buy it here: http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Nude-Magique-Blur-Cream_1432493/
Then for foundation I would recommend the L'Oreal True Match. It is a great all rounder, and it seems to match a lot of different peoples needs. It has gorgeous coverage, an amazing shade range and it blends flawlessly with you skin.
You can buy it here: http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Paris-True-Match-Foundation_16049/
I'd then recommend applying the foundation using the Stippling Brush from Primark's PS Love range. I have spoke about this brush before, I really do love it. It is only £1.50, and leaves your foundation looking nothing less than flawless.

Next is concealers, and I couldn't pick just one, as I think they are both amazing. I'd use the concealer on my under eyes, any other blemishes or redness you want to cover after foundation, and on the bridge of the nose and the chin.
The concealers are, the Maybelline Anti-Age The Eraser Concealer, which you can buy here, http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Eraser-Eye-Concealer_1321843/ and the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, which you can buy here, http://www.boots.com/en/Collection-Lasting-Perfection-Concealer_1693350/.
I'd then recommend blending these into the skin using either my finger, or a makeup sponge, the one pictured is part of a set of two from the brand Models Own, and I love them! I have had mine for a while now and I think I need to purchase some more really as they look a little old. I couldn't find them on the Boots website, but here are some similar alternatives, http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bocideal-Arrivisl-Flawless-Blender-Foundation/dp/B00N7IF8H2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1438959709&sr=8-4&keywords=makeup+sponge.

 Next, you will need to have something to set the concealer. This is a recent purchase but I love it, it is the Gosh Prime and Set powder. I have not used it to prime my skin yet, but I have used it to set my concealer and foundation and I love it. It comes close to the MAC Prep and Prime Finishing Powder! You can buy it here, http://www.superdrug.com/GOSH/-GOSH-Velvet-Touch-Primer-%26-Setting-Powder---Transparent/p/879457#.VcTJGkIQK0s.
I use a normal foundation brush to apply the powder to my under eyes, any one will do, mine was part of a set that was a gift to me so I have no idea where it was from, but here is a similar one, http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Make-Up-Accessories/Make-Up-Brushes/Makeup-Revolution-Pro-F101-Foundation-Brush/p/444004#.VcTJZUIQK0s.
You can also use this powder to set the rest of your face, so that your foundation lasts longer and I also think it helps your contour blend more easily. The powder brush I'd recommend and I absolutely love is my Wilkinsons and it is a bargain at £4! You can buy it here, http://www.wilko.com/accessories-and-tools/wilko-premium-powder-brush/invt/0348250.

Right, now onto contour kits. I have one my Freedom Makeup that I love, but like I said, you'd have to order it online which can be annoying, so instead I would recommend this Contour Kit by Barry M. The contour shade on the far right is amazing, not at all orange, very cool toned so it mimics a shadow more, and the shade in the middle is a little warmed which can be used as a bronzer. You can buy it here, http://www.boots.com/en/Barry-M-Chisel-Cheeks-Contour-Kit-7-5g_1655085/.
The brush I'd highly recommend to apply the contour with is the Real Techniques Contour Brush. You can buy it here, it is sold as a set, but the whole set is amazing! I'd highly recommend the set, http://www.boots.com/en/Real-Techniques-Core-Collection-1403_1252038/.
The highlighter I would recommend is the highlighter shade in the MUA Sculpt and Bronze Contour Kit, which can be bought here, http://www.superdrug.com/MUA/MUA-Luxe-Contour-Kit-Fair-Medium-735/p/471303#.VcTLGkIQK0s. I apply this with what resembles a blusher brush, again this was a gift, but here is an alternative, http://www.wilko.com/accessories-and-tools/wilko-blusher-brush/invt/0348253.

In terms of blusher I would recommend, for a starter kit especially, are those from the pounds shops makeup range called Makeup Gallery. They offer a range of about 6 different shades, the packaging is nice and they are very subtle and leave a nice finish.
You can use any fluffy blusher brush for this, mine was part of a gift again, but here is a similar one, http://www.wilko.com/accessories-and-tools/wilko-premium-blusher-brush/invt/0350151.

In terms of eyeshadow, the palette I own that I would recommend the most for someone just starting out with makeup, is the Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 1 palette. The pigmentation is gorgeous, the colour range is beautiful, and it can create subtle everyday looks, as well as dramatic looks. You can buy it here, http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Eyes/Eye-Shadow-Palettes/Makeup-Revolution-Salvation-palette-Iconic-Pro-1/p/446600#.VcTM0kIQK0s.
The eye shadow brushes I use are off amazon, an online shop I know, but the shipping is free. These come in a set of five, I just couldn't find all 5 of mine, but the fluffy ones are my favourites and they make blending eyeshadow so easy! Here is the link for them, http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MHLD1X8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00, they really are a bargain at £2.59.

The best eyeliner I have found so far, and the cheapest, is definitely the liquid eyeliner from Makeup Gallery.
The mascara I would always recommend to a professional in makeup or a starter, is the PS Love Lift and Curl Mascara, it is by far worth more than £2.

Now for brows, for a starter eyebrows can be so tricky to master, but I found the easiest thing to use was a pencil, personally. The one I first loved the most and I still love is the Soap and Glory Archery Pencil, you can buy it here, http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-ARCHERY-2-in-1-Brow-Filling-Pencil-Brush_1524204/.

Finally, for lipsticks, for a starter I would recommend any of the MUA and Make Up Revolution lipsticks, especially as the majority are only £1 each! AMAZING! They are so good for the price, you'll won't believe it until you test them yourself. But yes you may need to reapply a couple of times in the day but for £1 you still can not complain, as they are so pigmented.
You can buy them at Superdrug, www.superdrug.com.

So there it is guys, my Makeup Starter Kit Essentials. I hope this was useful for some of you, and I'd love to know if you go out and buy any of these and let me know what you think :)

Do you guys like my new logo at the top of the blog page? I'd love to know your opinions.

Thanks for reading,

Love, Abbie

<3

MUA Luxe Bronze & Sculpt Contour Kit Review...

Hey everyone, now, I wanted to do this quick blog post about a new favourite product of mine! I have been searching for a new highlighter for ages, as all of the highlighters I have, despite the fact that they are nice, they don't highlight as much as I would like them to. I love the look of the Balm's Mary Lou-manizer, but I didn't want to fork out the money for it. I was determined to find an affordable highlighter that I love! I did't think it was ever going to happen until I found this product.

Look at that highlight on my high point of my cheekbone!!

That was exactly the look I wanted to achieve from a highlighter powder, and until now I hadn't found anything that gave my this look! 

Now, you are probably wondering what this amazing product is that I am raving about and more important how much is it?! Well, to answer the question of cost, it is only £5, AMAZING! But what is even more amazing is that it also comes with a contour shade, which is equally as impressive as the highlighter!

So enough of the suspense now, the product I am talking about it the MUA Luxe Bronze and Sculpt Contour Kit in the fair/medium shade!

Just take a look at how gorgeous, both the product AND the packaging is!

The highlighter, at first glance, didn't look as though it was going to fulfil the highlighting dream drugstore product I had in my head, because I thought it was going to be more of a shimmery bronzer than a highlighting shade, but oh how wrong I was! It is beautiful. The contour shade too is totally matte, and gives the most lovely contour, as pictured below (both the highlighter and the contour). Both powders are very creamy to apply and definitely do not feel chalky at all! The contour shade blends beautifully, and looks great on my pale skin, in my opinion, as my fake tan is fading.

 I literally can not get enough of this highlighter, and just the kit in general, because it is so affordable, yet performs so well, and is of outstanding quality. I personally think that when I use it, it feels like I am using a high end product. The only thing that makes it seem cheaper is because of the plastic packaging, but that doesn't bother me one bit.

Again, this product retails at £5, and you can buy it here: http://www.superdrug.com/MUA/MUA-Luxe-Contour-Kit-Fair-Medium-735/p/471303#.Vb-Ax0IQK0s

I hope you all liked this post :)

If anyone already has this product, or goes out and buys it because of this post, let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you.

Also, if anyone wants me to do a review on a drugstore product let me know, and I will try my best to do it if I don't already own the product, but if I do own the product I will definitely do a review for you :)

I hope you all have a lovely day, and keep your eyes out for a new blog post either tomorrow or Wednesday

<3

Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored in anyway, I bought this product with my own money, and all opinions are my own. I just genuinely love this product more than I would have thought, and it really deserves to be mentioned and raved about!

Job Interview Makeup and Outfit...

As you might have guessed by the title, I had a job interview today, eeeeeeek, scary I know! I was so nervous this morning, I could hardly eat because I felt so sick, haha!

I had initially decided I wouldn't wear makeup as I didn't want to look 'fake', but then when I found out that I had to do a presentation as part of the interview I knew I wouldn't feel comfortable with no makeup on while doing a presentation. Because doing presentations are probably one of the scariest things I have ever had to do and I avoid them at all costs! Even at university when it came to doing group presentations I would be the only one in the group who wouldn't talk! Ah I hate them, but I do know I would find it slightly less nerve racking if I felt comfortable within my own skin, so therefore I knew I had to wear makeup.

Yes, I know it is silly that I don't feel comfortable without makeup on, but I just love how makeup can just cover my blemishes and instantly make me feel better.

I did do a more 'minimal' makeup look, and it was a lot more natural(ish) than usual. I understand that this may still be a lot of makeup to some, but to me it isn't much at all, and if you look at my previous makeup look posts, I do use a lot more products in those than I have in this one :)

So here is the look :) 

I wore black smart trousers from Peacocks, a black blouse from Dunnes, and a grey blazer from Primark (I think). I got all of the outfit about two years ago, so can not remember the price of the blouse and the blazer, but I do know Peacocks still sell the trousers and they are around £9. 

 On my face I used Benefit's That Gal brightening face primer, which I LOVE and I am seriously considering buying the full sized product once I have the money, I love it that much! I then used Benefit's Porefessional under my eyes and around my nose. 

Then I used Natural Collection's Green Concealer to cover my redness. Then for foundation I used Benefit's Hello Flawless foundation, followed by Maybelline's Fit Me concealer under my eyes and over anymore blemishes that were still peaking through.

I also used Urban Decays All Nighter Setting Spray when I had finished all my makeup to set it all.

 Then on the rest of my face I used MAC's Prep and Prime Transparent finishing powder to set my under eye concealer. I then used Freedom's Bronzer to bronze my face a little, and I used the Freedom Pro Warm Lights contour shade to contour my cheek bones and nose slightly.

Then I used Natural Collection's Blusher in the shade Peach Melba.

 On my brows I used the usual Soap and Glory Archery Brow Pencil, and Benefit's Gimme Brow. I drew my brows on a LOT thinner and more 'natural' looking today, as bold brows probably would have looked weird with such a minimal makeup look.

On my eyes I used, the usual, MUA Essential Matte's Eyeshadow Palette, using the first shade in the top row all over the lid and to highlight the brow bone and then the last shade, top row, in the crease. As you can probably tell, recently this has been my go to palette for everyday use.

Then I used my fave Primark Lift and Curl mascara on my top lashes only, and Rimmel London's Scandal Eyes eyeliner in the shade                nude, just to brighten my eyes a little.

I hope some of you found this post useful, as, for me anyway, this is a very minimal, everyday kind of look. I literally took me 10 minutes too, if that, so it is great for when you're in a rush.

Just incase you want to know, I actually passed that interview and I am onto the next stage of the interview process, which I have no idea if its the last stage or not, but none the less, I am one step closer to hopefully getting a job. YAY :)

I will hopefully have a super exciting blog post coming on Thursday of me showing you how to achieve this purple 'ombre' eyeshadow look. And it will hopefully be a video of me doing it, if not it will be a step by step guide.

I also have a massive list of other blog posts I want to do soon too, so keep an eye out for plenty more to come :)

MAC Stone Lipliner makeup look...

Hey, so the other day I received MAC's stone lipliner in the post, special mention to my boyfriend James for buying it for me! I have wanted it for SO long, and I recently went into a MAC store and there was none left, so I ended up ordering it online. As soon as it came I just had to do all my makeup and try it out, as you do.

Here is the look I created, nothing too much, just a simple eye, bold brows, contour, and the bold Stone lip:

Here is how I created the look:

 On my face I used L'oreal Nude Magique BB Cream. I don't use this very often, because it is usually slightly too dark for me, but I love it, and now I fake tan it is actually perfect. I used this as a primer rather than a BB cream. Over the top I used a tiny bit of Benefit's Porefessional under my eyes, and around my nose.

Then I used Benefit's Hello Flawless foundation, which is soooooo nice! I haven't used it much but it really does make you look flawless, even without concealer! But, I still used my Collection concealer, as no matter how good the coverage, I still don't think I'd ever be able to do my makeup without using concealer.

Then I set my under eye concealer with MAC's Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder, and then set the rest of the face with Benefits Hello Flawless Powder. Then I bronzed my cheeks, forehead, chin and jaw line with Benefit's Hoola. I contoured with Freedom's Bronzed Professional Pro Warm Lights, I also used the lightest shade to highlight under my eyes, down my nose and under my contour. I used Benefit's Rockateur Blusher, and MUA's Undress Your Skin to highlight.

On my brows I drew them on and filled them in using Soap and Glory's Archery Brow Pencil, and then used Benefit's Gimme Brow.

On the eyes I used the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Creamy Beige, and then I used the light brown colour (last colour, top row) from the MUA Essential Mattes Palette in my crease and a tiny bit on the lower lid. Then I coated my lashes in the Freedom Curl Mascara.  

And then, obviously, I used MAC's stone lipliner all over the lips. I did apply the tiniest amount of Vaseline to the lips first though, as my lips were slightly dry and I knew using this lipliner all over would dry them out even more without the Vaseline. It also made it easier to fill in the lips too!

I hope you all like this look, I absolutely loved it! And I am in love with the Stone lipliner too! I will definitely be getting the lipstick version when it comes out in August/September here in the UK!

Nicole Guerriero Inspired Makeup Look...

Hey everyone :)

I wanted to do a makeup look on myself, that was inspired by someone, and after a lot of searching, I eventually decided on doing a look inspired by my favourite YouTuber, Nicole Guerriero. No one can deny how absolutely stunning she is, and I came across a picture on her Instagram page that I loved, and wanted to do a similar look.

Here's the look, with Nicole on the left and my look on the right:

 And here is my before and after:

Here are the products I used:

On my brows I used Soap and Glory's Archery pencil, and Benefit's Gimme Brow.
I also used Khroma Beauty's Quickie mascara (which is one of my favourite mascaras EVER), as well as Benefit's Roller Lash mascara, for more dramatic lashes, without the need of falsies.
For the eyeliner I used my all time favourite liquid liner, by the Poundshop's own makeup brand called Makeup Gallery, and a No7 felt tip liner just to mark where the wing would be before using the liquid eyeliner. I also used a HelenE eyeliner on my lower lash line.

 I also used the MUA essential mattes palette on my eyes, Nicole's eyeshadow looked super simple, so I just used the first colour (the lightest) all over the lid and the the light brown colour (top row, last colour) in the crease.

On the face I used L'oreal's nude magique blur cream, followed by Benefit's Erase Paste on any blemishes and on my under eyes. I then used my sample sized Dior Star foundation, followed by a combination of Maybelline's The Eraser Eye and Fit Me concealer, under my eyes, and in the area's I'd highlight.

I set my under eye concealer with MAC's Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder, and set the rest of my face with Seventeen's Miracle Matte Loose Powder. I contoured with Freedom's   Pro Contour Kit in fair, and used Benefit's Dandelion powder as a blush, and highlighted using MUA's Undress Your Skin highlighter in the shade.

Finally, to recreate Nicole's bold red lip, I used MUA's lip liner in the shade Red Drama, to line the lips, then filled in the lips using L'oreal's Colour Riche Collection Privee in the shade Blake's Red.

I loved this makeup look, ignoring the fact it was the worst lipstick application ever.

I loved the red lipstick, and I loved the contour kit by Freedom!

I hope you liked this post, I have another blog post coming soon about a makeup look using MAC's stone lipliner. But before then I will be doing a blog post review/first impressions of a product that was sent to me recently, so keep an eye out for that. :)

My top 5 affordable/drugstore lipsticks...

Okay, admittedly this is probably going to be one of my favourite blog posts as it is about lipstick, but I also have to admit that picking just 5 of my favourite drugstore lipsticks was a lot harder than I thought it would be! But, obviously, I managed in the end :)

First of all,

Revlon Colour Burst Matte Balm
Shade: Shameless

swatch: no flash

swatch: with flash

This lipstick is AMAZING, you do not need to keep reapplying to get a good pigmentation of colour on the lips, it is already super pigmented! It also has a nice mint smell to it, which although is sort of irrelevant to how the lipstick performs, it is still a nice touch. I like applying this with and without a brush.

It is a matte lipstick too, but it does not dry the lips at all, unlike some matte lipsticks. It also lasts most of the day without urgent need for reapplying.

It is also super cheap consider the quality too, it retails at £7.99, but Boots currently have a 3 for 2 offer on Revlon too! 

http://www.boots.com/en/Revlon-ColorBurst-Matte-Lip-Balm_1416281/

MUA cosmetics matte lipstick
Shade: peachy keen

swatch: no flash

swatch: with flash

This is MUA cosmetic's matte lipstick in the shade Peachy Keen. It is slight drying, being a matte lipstick, but with a tiny bit of vaseline on the lips underneath it is perfect!

It is the perfect spring/summer shade, and a perfect colour for in the day.

This lipstick doesn't last as long as some more expensive drugstore lipsticks, but I still only need to reapply once or twice throughout the day, it also needs a little layer to build up a nice pigmented colour on the lips, and given the price I don't even mind that!

MUA is definitely one of my all time favourite brands because they offer (mostly) amazing quality products at such a small price.

This lipstick retails at just £1!! Yes, that is not a typo, it really is just £1. It is definitely worth more than £1 and has always and will always been a firm favourite of mine, regardless of it's price.

http://www.superdrug.com/MUA/MUA-Matte-Lipstick-Peachy-Keen/p/730860#.VaQpn0IQK0s

Soap & Glory's Sexy Mother Pucker
Shade: Blush Pink

swatch: no flash

swatch: with flash

This is the only Soap & Glory lipstick I own, unfortunately :(. But I wear it A LOT!

It is a gorgeous matte pinky nude colour, that is very wearable day or night, and it lasts all day!

The packaging is also cute, but the smell of this lipstick is to die for! It has this gorgeous vanilla smell, which makes it so much nicer to wear because I could just sit and smell this lipstick all day, it seriously does smell so good, haha!

It is supposed to be one of their plumping lipsticks too, although I do not think it makes my lips appear bigger, but this doesn't bother me.

This lipstick is also super pigmented so no need to layer up the colour to get it too look nice.

This lipstick retails at£9, but again Boots have a 3 for 2 offer on Soap & Glory cosmetics at the moment too!

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory%C2%99-Sexy-Mother-Pucker%C2%99-Matte-Powder-Coat_1279316/

Makeup Revolution Atomic Lipstick
Shade: Make it Right

swatch: no flash

swatch: with flash

This is my all time favourite Makeup Revolution lipstick! I love the vast majority of their lipsticks, as I own almost all of them, but this stands out from them all! Not only because of its bright colour but mainly because of it's amazing pigmentation and longevity!

This is the most gorgeous purple shade with a very very slight shimmer to it! It is the perfect autumn/winter shade, but I still wear it in the summer too!

It lasts all day, you might only need to reapply once, if that! It doesn't dry out the lips either. This is probably my absolute favourite lipstick, if I had to only pick one! It is one of my most worn lipsticks, and I would wear it day and night, but it is probably more suited for use for a night out as it is such a bold colour.

This lipstick retails at £1, and yes, again, no type, it is just £1!!

http://www.superdrug.com/Makeup-Revolution/Makeup-Revolution-Amazing-Lipstick-Atomic-Make-It-Right/p/357903?singleResultSearchPage=true#.VaQseEIQK0s

L'oreal Colour Riche Lipstick
Shade: JLo's red

swatch: no flash

swatch: with flash

Last, but at no means least, is L'oreal's Colour Riche lipstick in the shade JLo's red.

OMG this the most gorgeous red lipstick! And what is a lipstick favourites post without a red?!

This lipstick too is amazingly pigmented, and does last all day!

When I wear this lipstick I always feel more confident, because it's such a gorgeous red, and it looks flawless on the lips, no streaks, just a gorgeous pigmented red!

And the packaging is also beautiful, yes we don't actually need amazing packaging, we only use the lipstick after all, but it sure does look nice on my desk! I actually prefer this packaging to MAC!

I absolutely love L'oreal makeup as a whole because all of it's makeup they offer are of outstanding quality!

This lipstick retails at £6.99, which for this quality and pigmentation and, basically, perfection is just amazing! Superdrug also have a buy one get one half price offer too.

http://www.superdrug.com/L%27Oreal-Paris/L%27oreal-Colour-Riche-Collection-Privée-Red-Lipstick-Jlo/p/229200#.VaQurEIQK0s

I hope you liked this post, these are truly my 5 favourite affordable lipsticks!

Next in my top 5 series I will be doing a post on my top 5 foundations, featuring L'oreal and Maxfactor, so look out for that!

Remember to vote in the poll guys! If you are viewing on a mobile device you will need to view the desktop/web version to see it :)