My Makeup Revolution lipstick collection and SWATCHES...

Hey everyone, so, I thought that as I recommend any MUA and Makeup Revolution lipsticks in my Makeup Starter Kit Essentials post, I thought it would be useful if I showed you my collection and swatches.

I am starting it all off by showing you my Makeup Revolution lipstick collection and swatches, as MUR is a brand that I love, it is one of my all time favourite brands, and the vast majority of the products I have used are actually amazing.

Here is a picture of all of my MUR lipsticks. Most of them are the £1 lipsticks, but 5 of them are the I Heart Makeup lipsticks that are around £2.99 each.

So, here are the swatches:

L-R: nude, the one, dusky, divine

L-R: dazzle, cheer, chic, enchant, crime

L-R: rebel with cause, dare, reckless, passion, fusion.

L-R: black heart, make me tonight, make it right, 100% vamp.

L-R: baby doll, racing heart, immoral, heart is pumping, irregular heartbeat, marshmallow kiss.

As you can see, the majority are super super pigmented despite how cheap they are! The stand out shades, in my opinion are, dusky, crime, reckless, make it right, 100% vamp and marshmallow kiss. I love most of them, but they are definitely the ones I'd recommend the most and are amongst the most pigmented.
The matte shades are a little drying, but if you apply a tiny bit of lip balm under the lipstick then it'll massively reduce this!

Overall, I will always recommend MUR lipsticks, they are so cheap, yet amazingly pigmented and the none matte shades are super creamy, yet the matte shades do look gorgeous on the lips!

You can buy them directly from the Makeup Revolution website, or from selected Superdrug stores and online.
http://www.superdrug.com/brandshop/makeup-revolution
http://www.makeuprevolutionstore.com

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

Boots and TKMaxx Haul...

Sooooo, I might have gone to Boots today! Oops, but here is what I bought:

Disclaimer: This blog post was lot more detailed, but the website crashed as I went to publish it and I lost the whole post! Annoying. So this is the second time I am typing it up so it is going to be quick, as it took me over an hour last time, and I don't have the patience to spend that long on it again, haha.

I got an Elizabeth Arden Mascara from TKMaxx, this retails at £22, but I got this for £7.99, which is amazing. I also wanted to get the Revlon Photo Ready 3D Volume Mascara from Boots for £10.99, but managed to get a kit with two of the mascaras and an eyeliner for £7.99, which is AMAZING, so I definitely couldn't say no to it, haha.

I also got the new Benefit Operation Pore-Proof kit, which looks AMAZING. I have wanted it since I saw the preview, so I picked this up without even a second thought, haha.

I love my Natural Collection Blush in the shade Peach Melba, so I got another one in the shade Rosey Glow. I also got a bronzer in the shade Golden Glow.

I picked up one of the Lash Sensational Mascaras as I have only heard good things. I am also running out of my Collection Lasting Perfection concealer so I had to get another one.
Shaaanxo (youtuber) goes on about the L'Oreal Brow Plumper all the time, so when I saw it I had to pick it up as if she raves about it, it must be good! I also got the new L'Oreal Superliner, as it looks so good, and again, I have heard really good things.

I also got a No7 liquid eye liner too, I want to start buying more so that I can find the perfect liner or so I can find one that I find easier to use as I am terrible at applying liquid eyeliner. I also got a No7 brow pencil as my Soap and Glory one will have run out soon, so I wanted to try a new one.
I also got one of the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB creams, as the only one I own is way, way too orange for me, and this one looks light enough so I really wanted to give it a go.
I have also heard people rave about the Wake Me Up Rimmel Concealer, so, again, I thought I'd give it a go.

I picked up a Vichy DermaBlend Full Coverage Foundation, as I have heard quite good things. I am so excited to try it. I have very high expectations especially as it was £18!
I also got the No7 brush cleaner, and I have just tried it and OMG I love it! My brushes were clean so quickly and effortlessly.
I picked up a L'Oreal BB powder too, as part of a 3 for 2 offer, as I needed to pick a third thing and decided to give this powder a go.
I am also super excited to try the new Maybelline Master Sculpt Conour Kit too, and I must say the highlighter looks beautiful.

I got a free gift with my two No7 purchases, which included a Skin Illuminator Primer, a single eyeshadow in a shimmering deep purple shade, and an Intense Volume Mascara.

But the best part of the free gift was the free lipstick voucher for up to £9.95! I had a hard time choosing a shade, mainly because they were all so similar. They all seemed to be pink shades that all seemed the same, there was not one purple or nude shade in the offer, which was annoying as I don't often wear pink shades, but I picked up this one in the end, and it is pretty but I don't know how much wear I will get out of it to be honest.

So, it is safe to say I spent way too much money in Boots today, but I was treating myself because yesterday I found out that I got the job for the interviews I had been too, YAYAY :D! I have just under three weeks until I start so until then I will be buying work clothes mainly now, and possibly a little more makeup. I will update you all when I have bought a load of work clothes and show you all. :)

Again, this was a rushed post as it was the second time I had typed it up. Fingers crossed it works this time, as I doubt I will have the patience to try for a third time today! haha. 

Anyway, tomorrow I will be uploading a 'my makeup starter kit essentials' post, so keep an eye out for that :)

Thanks for reading everyone,

Love Abbie 

<3

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. :)

Current Favourites...

So, I am going to talk about my current make-up favourites.

I want to start with one of the best dupes I have personally ever found!

Loreal Nude Magique Blur Cream- this is an amazing dupe for Benefit Porefessional, and given the price difference I reach for this more often than Porefessional. I only own sample sizes of Porefessional and since finding this dupe a few months ago I will never buy the full sized, as this is exactly the same in my opinion. I don't think that this perfectly fills in pores but I also do not think Porefessional does either, so they both perform on par with one another. But this products definitely gives me a close to perfect, smooth base to then apply my concealer and foundation, and I LOVE it, I literally couldn't recommend it enough,
This retails at £9.99 from Boots, and there is currently a 3 for 2 offer on Loreal too!
http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Nude-Magique-Blur-Cream_1432493/


The foundation I have been loving recently is one that I bought a few months ago, used it a couple of times, then forgot about it. But I have recently started using it again and I have fell in love with it!

It is Max Factor's Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion foundation. This foundation, paired with the right concealer, which I will mention next, makes your face look FLAWLESS, literally. This gives an airbrushed finish especially when applied with a stippling brush! When I used it the other day I was amazed at how flawless my make-up looked, I literally did not want to take it off. The only disappointing thing is that I do not think it will last long, as I haven't actually used it that many times, nor do I use that much of the product, but there is a massive dip in the product as if I have used it loads of times. This foundation does also need to be set with a powder, which doesn't bother me as I always set my foundation anyway, but it might bother some.
This foundation retails at £12.99 at Boots, and again, Max Factor also have a  3 for 2 offer on at the moment too!
http://www.boots.com/en/Max-Factor-Miracle-Touch-Foundation_125268/

Now, as promised, my favourite concealer. And if you're one for watching YouTube videos regularly about make-up, or read other make-up blogs, you probably won't be surprised at this.

It is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. This is the best concealer I have ever used! Its coverage is amazing, under foundation it concealers all my blemishes and red areas on my skin like a dream. I must have had this for around 6 months too, and I use it almost every time I do my make-up, and I am only just starting to run out! And I am literally devastated that I am coming to the last few uses of this concealer, but I will definitely be repurchasing ASAP! I find this gives the best finish when applied directly from the applicator to the face and then dabbed into the skin using a beauty blender.
This retails at £4.19 at Boots! I know right, it is sooooo cheap, but trust me, it is also AMAZING!
http://www.boots.com/en/Collection-Lasting-Perfection-Concealer_1436032/
But you will be lucky to find this so easily, as it is usually out of stock everywhere, because it is such a loved product! But weirdly enough, I always find that 90% of the time, they are in stock at Morrisons supermarkets, those that sell Collection make-up anyway.

Now, if someone were to ask my what my favourite bronzer was, I would definitely always say this one, especially for people with super pale skin, like me.

This is the MUA mosaic bronzer in the shade natural glow. And it really is what it says, a beautiful natural glow. Most bronzers are way WAY too dark for me, given my extremely pale skin, but this is gorgeous, it is not too dark, not too much, not dramatic, it is perfect for an every day bronze. It doesn't have too much shimmer that it looks like you have chunks of glitter on your face, it has just the right amount of light shimmer to give a gorgeous light glow. I have used this bronzer A LOT and it was one of the first bronzers I bought, probably about 1 year ago, but it hardly looks touched in the pan! This will last you ages, I use the Eco Tools powder brush to apply this to my cheeks, forehead and jaw line, and I always love the finish it gives, its so natural, oh and not at all orange! Which is obviously a plus.
This retails at an amazing £2.50 directly from the MUA website.
http://www.muastore.co.uk/mosaic-bronzer-shade-1-natural-glow

Now for another dupe make-up favourite AND I actually prefer this over the high end product!

This is a mascara from Primark's make-up range PS Love, it is the Lift and Curl Mascara. This is a very close dupe for the new Benefit Roller Lash, and I actually like this one more! This is no where near as clumpy as Roller Lash! It just gives gorgeous, long, thicker, lifted lashes, just like Roller Lash, but like I said, with less clumps, and at a fraction of the price!
This is probably my all time favourite make-up product, probably because I didn't expect to really like it, being so cheap, let alone be a dupe for a Benefit product and be even better in my eyes.
I always recommend this mascara to people because I think its definitely a hidden gem that most people probably don't know about.

This is just one coat of the mascara, and you only need 2 coats, 3 at most!
This retails at £2, so definitely worth a buy, even just to try it because even if you don't love it as much as me, you haven't lost too much money.

Finally, what would a favourites post be without lipstick?

My fave lipstick right now is definitely Mac Velvet Teddy. I am OBSESSED. It lasts all day, smells gorgeous, doesn't dry my lips too much, and it is a gorgeous everyday colour that goes with near enough everything! This was also my first ever MAC lipstick, and it will definitely always be one of my favourite lipsticks.
This retails at £15.50, yes super expensive for one lipstick, but I don't often treat myself to expensive make-up products but I believe you should sometimes, and this is definitely worth the money as I wear it so often. I am also looking to use this in an ombre lip look soon too!
http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/168/310/Products/Lips/Lipstick/Lipstick/index.tmpl


I did not realise this post would be so long, but I guess I just have a lot to say, as I love all these products.
I hope you liked it and if you made it to the end without getting bored then YAY :)