Fab Five Favourites part 4: Eyes

Hi Beauts.

Time for my last 'fab five favourites' This time, my favourite eye products:

1 - MUA brow kit - This is my all time favourite eyebrow product. I used to prefer pencil over powder as it seemed quicker, however I know choose powder over pencil as I think it gives a more natural look. I mix the lightest and darkest shades to get the perfect colour for my brows, and I use the warm toned shade as a transition shade for my eyeshadow

2 - P.S Love felt tip liner - I'm a massive fan of a couple of felt tip liners, but since buying this one I think I've found my new favourite. The tip is perfect; not too flexible but flexible enough, it's a super black liner, it isn't too wet and it lasts all day long.

3 - Crown C200 brush - This is my all time favourite blending brush, it blows everything else out of the water! It is the perfect aize for the crease, the perfect density for blending out shadow and the best brush for applying a transition shade to the crease.

4 - Soap and Glory What's nude quad - This will always be my go to palette. It has everything you need for a natural or intense eye look. There's a matte off white highlight, a light matte beige for transition, a dark matte brown to add depth and a shimmery taupe to create a pretty smokey eye

5 - MUA Lash boom mascara - This is a a mascara that pleasantly surprised me. I was unsure whether or not I'd like the wand due to it's shape, and after using it once I fell in love. The wand gives separation, volume and length, such a great product!

Fab favourites part One

Fab favourites part Two

Fab favourites part Three

What eye products would you add to your list?

Stacey x

My favourite transition shades

Hi Beauts.

Rather than a review or haul post, today I wanted to share with you all my favourite transition eyeshadow shades.

If you're unsure what a transition shade is (which I'm sure you all already know) it is a shadow that is added to the crease of your eye to soften an eye look, warm up said eye look or/and to help blend out any shadows that you are using.

I never really used transition shades until a few months ago, and since using them I've found doing my eye make up so much easier. Over the months I've discoverd some amazing shades to use that work perfectly for my skintone, and wanted to share my finds with you.

Without further ado, here we go:

* Shade 3 from the MUA 'Undressed' paltte - This is a light neutral brown

* Pink T from Soap and Glory's 'What's nude' quad - This is slightly warmer toned than Sade 3 from the MUA palette but works just as great

* Fade from MUA 'ever after' matte palette - Again a light neutral shadow

* The contour shade from Sleeks 'Light' contour kit - Although this is a contour for the cheeks, it works amazing as a transition shade for the eyes

* The orange toned shade from MUA's eyebrow kit - Although this is an orange, it works so well as a warm transion colour and looks great with a brown eye look

All of the shades I've mentioned above are matte, which is find works better for transition - we don't want to look like a glitter fairy socked us in the face do we?! 

The best wat to apply this to your crease is using a medium sized fluffy crease brush. My favourite to use, and the best and only one I use, is the C200 from Crown Brush. It's the perfect size for the crease and pretty much does all of the work for you.

What are your favourite shades and brushes for adding a transition colour to your eyes? 

Stacey x

Empties #1

Hi Beauts.

Time (eventually) for me to post my pretty loooooong and first empties post of 2014. Grab your cuppa, this may take a while......

* Tesco Deodorant - I first picked this up because it's the only deodorant I could find that was cruelty free. After using this once I'd found a favourite (weird to have a fave deodorant I know) it smella amazing and does the job. REPURCHASE? Already have, I'm now onto my third RECOMMEND? Yes

* S&G Body spray - I'm a massive fan of S&G, mainly the scent of their products, so when I spotted this on the shelf I couldn't resist. However, I was disappointed. It doesn't smell like the sweet candy scent that most of their other products smell of, it has more of a vanilla scent to it. REPURCHASE? No. RECOMMEND? Yes if you like vanilla scented products, No if you want the sweet S&G scent

* Nspa body spray in Raspberry -A while back I won an nspa gift set on twitter and this body spray was part of that set. I loved this because it was so easy to chuck in my bag and spritz whenever I felt the need. I loved the smell too, so refreshing and it'd be perfect for summer. I do prefer the liquid type body sprays to the aerosols too as I feel you get more bang for your buck. REPURCHASE? Yes. RECOMMEND? Yes

* Superdrug shampoo & Conditioner - Again, these were the first products I found which are against animal testing. And to be honest, I'm not one for fancy hair products anyway, as long as they clean my hair, I'm good to go. Theae did just that. They didn't leave my hair extra shiny or smooth, but they left it clean. REPURCHASE? Yes, however I've just picked up some from Tesco which I want to try out. RECOMMEND? Yes

* Batiste tropical dry shampoo - Always an essential and always a repurchase. This is something I use if I haven't had time to wash my hair, and it smells amazing. REPURCHASE? Absolutely RECOMMEND? Absolutely

* Nspa shower gel - Another product in the Nspa gift set I won, and another body spray I love coco butter so knew I'd like this. The formula was like that of gelly, the scent was amazing, lathered brilliantly and left my skin so soft. It made a great bubble bath too! REPURCHASE? Yes RECOMMEND? Yes

* Nspa scrub - Last goodie from nspa, this time their shower scrub. I very rarely use scrubs if I'm honest, but when I do I like them to do three things: Smell nice, have enough but not too much, particles and leave my skin feeling soft. This one did all three. REPURCHASE? Yes RECOMMEND? Yes

* MUA extreme felt liner - I've used this pretty much since the first day it was released and I still love it. It's very black, opaque and waterproof. It's also really easy to use because the tip is quite flexible. REPURCHASE? Yes RECOMMEND? Absolutely

* e.l.f waterproof eyeliner pen - I'd ran out of my MUA liner whilst in NYC so picked this up to see if I'd like it. And like it I did. Like the MUA liner, this was highly pigmented, waterproof and easy to use. This on had a slightly finer and firmer tip which I found made it easier to create a thinner line and wing. REPURCHASE? Definitely RECOMMEND? Yes

* Barry M flawless matte finish foundation - I bought this when I decided to stop using products that were tested on animals, and this was the only foundation I could find that was matte. I usually go for full coverage to hide my freckles and scarring on my chin, however this one was more of a light to medium but could be built up to full. I actually really enjoyed using it and found it to feel quite lightweight on my skin which I like. (Full review to follow soon) REPURCHASE? Yes. RECOMMEND? Yes 

* Along came Betty Fix Me - My new all time favourite product ever. This was a god send! It was basically a mattifying primer in stick form. I'd apply this to my T-zone and blend in with my fingers. It kept my skin matte throughout the day, my make up didn't budge all day and I just can't rave about it enough. REPURCHASE? I already have 2 back ups. RECOMMEND? ABSOLUTELY!!

Phew that was a lot of empties!! Let's see what I can use up next.

Stacey x

Wish List #1

Hi Beauts.

There are a billion and one products that I want to buy, ok probably not actually a billion and one, but pretty close to that. So I decided today to share with you my little wishlist 

* Nspa oil free moisture gel

* Nspa melting cleansing gel

* Sleek Garden of Eden palette

* Soap and Glory Trick and Treat treatment
* MUA Ever after matte palette
* Soap and Glory One heck of a blot powder

* Real Techniques setting brush
* Real Techniques Miracle complexion sponge

* Real Techniques powder brush

What's on your wish list?

Stacey x

My Favourite.......eye and lip products

Hi Beauts.

I've previously written post about my favourite skincare and hair , and face products, and wanted to sure the final post with you all - My favourite eye and lip products:

Eyeshadow: Soap and Glory quad in 'What's nude' and Urban Decay naked 2 and naked basics palettes. I couldn't choose just one, whoops. I love me some nude eyeshadows, and these are the palettes that I always reach for. All three have great pigmentation and. Blend like a dream.

Pencil liner: Urban Decay 24/7 liners. I can't narrow it down to just one shade, but these are the best liners in general. They're soft to apply, last all day/night and don't smudge (unless you want them to)

Liquid liner: elf waterproof liner pen and MUA extreme felt liner. Again I couldn't narrow it down, these are both super long lasting and smudge/budge proof, not to mention extremely black.

Eyebrows: MUA eyebrow kit. This is a great product for everyone, it contains three eyebrow shades and a wax to keep your blows in place.

Lip liner: Prestige in Silk. I actuall have 4 or 5 of these bad boys floating around. This shade is a nudey pink and looks amazing on its own as well as under other lipsticks.

Lipstick: MUA Shade 2 and elf 'Classy'. Both of these lipsticks are highly pigmented, last for hours and aren't in the least bit drying.

Lipgloss: NYX mega shine lipgloss in Tea Rose. These are the best glosses I've tried. They're super pigmented, super glossy, last for ages and aren't sticky at all.

Well that's them all listed. I just thought that these little posts might be helping for those of you that also use cruelty free products, as it's quite difficult to find brands that are against animal testing.

Previous post listing brands that are against animal testing Here

Stacey x

Neutral Christmas look

Hi Beauts.

Another make up look for you all today, but this time I thought I'd keep it more neutral so it could be worn through the day. This is pretty much my day to day (ohhhh yes I wear glitter through the day) look throughout December.

Again with the other looks I posted, the shadows and glitter can be switched for something else if you prefer:

What I used:

* Soap and Glory 'What's nude' quad: Vanilla, Pink T and Mudhoney

* Collection Glam crystals glitter liner in Funk

* I started off by applying Vanilla all over my lid as a base shade, on my brow bone for a highlight and in the inner tear duct area

* Next up, on a fluffy blending blush I used Pink T in my crease as a transition shade - this makes blending easier

* The last shadow I used was Mudhoney in the outer V and blended into the crease, and outer half making sure to keep the inner half light and bright

* Finally I applied a splash of glitter along my lower lashline using Collection glam crystals glitter liner in Funk

Simple but glam, perfect for Christmas Day

Stacey x

I don't got the love

Hi Beauts.

Today's post is going to be a bit of a negative one I'm afraid, for I shall be sharing with you some of the products I've tried and just didn't find worked all that well for me. I will sy that just because they didn't work for me doesn't mean they won't work for you. We all have different skin types and preferences so by all means give them a whirl, you may find that you love them.

1 - mac Lip conditioner £11.00 - I wouldn't say that this didn't work for me because it did, I just don't by any means think that the is worth the money. This works just as well as any other Chapstick or lip balm, and they're a fraction of the price. It smells gorgeous and has lasted me ages, but I really can't justify the money

2 - essie nail polish in Ballet slippers £7.99 - Now this is a product that SO many people rave about, and I just don't get it. I knew before I bought it that it would take a couple of coats to get an opaque colour from it, but the more coats I applied the worse it looked. I found it to be very streaky and patchy, and because I had to apply so many coats it took forever to apply. I'm thinking of trying a white nail polish underneath and see if that helps Maybe?

3 - Benetint and posetint - Another favourite amount the beauty community, but one (or 2) that I just can't get away with. when I apply these to my lips as a stain, they look great at first. Then after a while when they start to fade they leave a ring around the inside of my lips as if I've been munching on an ice lolly. It doesn't matter if I apply a little or a lot, it always happens. And as for a cheek stain, they left my foundation looking patchy. I tried them under and over my foundation and couldn't for the life of me get them to look nice.

4 - seventeen on the spot foundation £6.99 - I bought this after reading a few really good reviews and desperately wanted to give it a try. Oh how disappointed was I! I found it sheer (it's supposed to be full coverage) it was difficult to blend, and even though I bought in a pale shade it was orange once it sank into the skin.

5 - 2true 3-in-1 concealer - £1.99 - Another product I'd heard good things about and another product I was disappointed with. I can't really complain about wasting money as this was only £1.99, but it's still disappointing non the less. This was very sheer, he a runny consistency and had very little coverage. The shade would have been great for highlighting under the eyes, but the coverage and consistency put an end to that.

6 - mac eyeshadow in Carbon  -  Every girl needs a matte black eyeshadow in her collection, and almost every girl on YouTube has MAC's Carbon. I didn't mind paying the money for this as I always use black for a smokey eye or just to darken whatever look I'm wearing. However once again I was majorly disappointed. This has very little pigmentation and is really hard to blend out, which to be honest really surprised me for a MAC shadow.

7 - Soap and Glory Kick ass concealer . - I wanted this for so long and was really excited when I finally decided to buy it. I thought that I'd love it, but unfortunately I didn't at all. It was way to thick in my opinion) for under my eyes, and it creased like a mofo which I never usually have with concealer. I also tried the darker shade to cover blemishes but it was to orange for my skin.

Well that's all the products I haven't loved. Like I say, these may work great for some of you and not so great for the rest of you. If you have any suggestions on how I can make any of the above work feel free to leave them in the comments :)

What's one product that you've been really disappointed with?

Don't forget to check out my second blog :)

Stacey x

Products I want to use up

Hi Beauts! 

Going through my make up and skincare collection, I've noticed I have a couple of products that are half used up, or have a huge dent in them at least. Two things I have a serious problem with constantly buying are Lip balms and hand creams.

I've decided that I'd pick out the products that I've hit pan on and things that have been half used up, and concentrate on finishing off those before I decide to open/buy similar items. I also find it highly satisfying using up a whole bottle/tube/whatever of something.

Body and skincare:

Clinique Happy Body Smoother - I got this as part of a gift set a while back and I've used almost half of it up. My problem is, I have so many body lotions on the go that I forget what I have. This is one that needs to be finished, and i think it's the perfect time - it's definitely a summer scent

Soap and Glory Heel Genius - I only have a quarter of a tube left so this definitely had to be included. I bought this a while back, and recieved another tube in a gift set I got for Christmas

Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment - One of many hand creams I have in my collection, and one I'm not overly keen on. However, I was brought up never to waste anything so I shall be using the whole thing

Balance Me Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve - I got this free in a magazine so long ago, and once again because I have so many lip balms open I forgot about it. I love this, especially the smell so I'll enjoy finishing this for sure

Make Up:

Wet and Wild eyeshadow in Cream - I hit pan on this ages ago and because I have so many neutral shades like this one I don't really use it. It's a gorgeous all over lid shade and great for highlight too 

No7 eyeshadow in Wheatsheaf - I've added this to my little hit list because I have this in a full size too and never use either. Time for some neutral eyes I think

No7 Blush in Candy Pink - I have a ridiculous amount of blushes and still keep buying more. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to finally use the rest of this one before I buy any more

Rimmel Sweet Jelly Lipgloss in Jammy - I have a few of these tubes from Rimmel in different shades and once again because I have a stupid amount of lip products I thought I'd best get cracking on using them up

I think I might do this either every month or maybe every 3 months, depending how I get on with tackling this lot. Hopefully I can get through them quickly, which means I can buy more.....mwahahahaaaaa :P

I have a lifestyle blog too if you fancy a peek

Stacey x