Product Spotlight: M.A.C Peachy Keen Sheertone Shimmer Blush

Hey Guys!

Recently we've really been getting more into cheek products, as they're great for adding a healthy glow to the complexion and really finishing a look off. So, naturally, when we popped into Debenhams and stopped off at the MAC stand, we decided to purchase one of their Sheertone Shimmer Blushes in 'Peachy Keen'. 

 The Blush comes in the standard MAC packaging, which is practical, sturdy and visually appealing. As you can see, in the pan the colour appears to be more of a dark pink than the 'peach' stated in the name. However, upon application the colour definitely transforms into a shade more worthy of its title.

You get 6g of product here which is a fairly decent amount when compared to some other high end beauty brands, so the blush is good value for money, especially as a little goes a long way, even with these less pigmented sheertone formula. You can definitely expect this to last you a good while!

Although MAC describe this colour as 'peach', we would say it's got a definite pink tone to it, along with a hint of gold shimmer, which makes it a very natural looking pink-y peach that is really good to subtly brighten the complexion and add a slight pop of colour. Peachy keen is a Sheertone Blush and therefore isn't the most pigmented, but it can be built up to give a much more opaque finish if that is the look that's desired, so on that front it's quite versatile.

You can pick peachy keen up from MAC counters in department stores and from MAC stores for an RRP of £17.50.

Penny & Clio

xox

The Summer Sales Steals

Hey Guys!

Sorry for the silence on the blogging front for the last few days, but we've been a bit busy with finishing up our exams and prom prep- but now we're back!

Sales season has rolled around again, and we're super excited to get our hands on some amazing bargains because as much as we love to shop, it can be a bit of a drain on our (limited) budget. Below we're showing you our top ten sales picks from our favorite high street stores to give you guys some inspiration because although you can find some real gems in the sales, lets face it, often a lot of it is stuff that most of us wouldn't really wear!

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We know that these ten picks don't follow one particular trend or style, but we really like each of them individually and feel that these are some of the best pieces in the sales stock of this season.

Happy Bargain Hunting!

Penny and Clio 

xox

Product Spotlight: Bourjois BB Bronzing Cream 8 in 1

Hey Guys!

Both of us are fairly pale but now that the elusive summer seems to have finally reared its head we've been looking for a way to achieve a 'bronzed' look that's totally natural and gives a bit of colour to our complexions. So, when we saw this Bourjois BB cream we were a little intrigued, in the bottle it looks terrifying, it's so brown that it seems like you would risk looking like a TOWIE-extra even after the most sparing application, but we did think it would be good for darkening our regular 'the palest shade they do' foundations if on the off chance we managed to get a bit of a tan, so we took the plunge and purchased it.

The product comes in a glass bottle which gives it a luxurious and expensive feel that we really like. And, in addition to this, the pump dispenser makes it really convenient to dispense just the right amount of product which is always a useful feature in a liquid base. Finally, the bottle's colours are very summery and complementary to the bronze tone of the product.

First off, the product itself smells amazing, when they say it has an 'addictive fragrance' they aren't lying, the scent reminds us of freshly baked cake, which is definitely a bit of a bonus. But, you don't just wear a product because of the smell, and although we can't really vouch for the claims of it moisturizing the skin and prolonging a tan, it does give a nice sheer finish, and darkens the skin in a fairly natural way. It is a bit too dark  for us, although could probably pass as acceptable with copious amounts of blending- but we've really enjoyed using this as a bronzer on our cheeks, jawline, nose and temples to give that sunkissed 'just been on holiday' look.

As you can see from the swatch on the left, when unblended the product is extremely dark, which may look a bit terrifying when you apply it to the skin. However, the swatch on the right of the hand shows the product when blended, which has really made it considerably more subtle, just giving a slightly darker tanned glow to the skin.

All round, we would say that this is a nice product, however if you are pale, there are probably better things that you could use as a bronzer. It is an affordable and brand new type of product, and it's nice to see drugstore brands such as bourjois really making an effort to bring out revolutionary products that make the brand stand out from it's competition.

You can purchase the product from Boots for an RRP of £9.99.

Penny and Clio

xox

S/S '13 Makeup Trends: 'No Makeup Makeup': Drugstore Edit

Hey Guys!

I've decided to do a series of posts based around the drugstore products you would require to recreate the on trend makeup looks for this season so you can get a catwalk ready look for less!

The first trend I've decided to write about is 'no makeup makeup'- because this is a really fresh faced, natural look which is easy to recreate and can be worn to a variety of places, from school/work to a party (giving you a laid back but still pretty appearance).

A key feature of this look is skin which is perfectly powdered in the right places (T-zone) but still has a glowy effect on the cheeks to give a youthful feel and stop you from looking unnaturally matte. Additionally, a natural foundation and concealer have been combined to create a flawless base.

A light natural toned blush should be swept across the cheeks, and the eyebrows can be lightly filled in if needed. Then a product such as a tinted lip balm can be used to add a 'sheen' to the lips.

Finally, a brown gel eyeliner (or black on darker skin tones) can be used on the top lash-line to create the illusion of thicker eyelashes, and a nude eyeliner in the lower waterline for a 'wide awake' look. Finish with a few coats of a non-clumpy mascara. 

Drugstore Product Picks:

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These products are all great on their own but ,when combined, will create the dewy-natural finish you're after so you'll look as good as the models at London Fashion Week for a fraction of the price!

Penny

xox

Drugstore Edit: Starter Makeup Kit

Hey Guys!

On Friday afternoon following the end of my last ever maths exam (woop woop!) I went into town with a couple of friends to have lunch and do a bit of shopping. Whilst perusing the aisles of boots (dangerous territory for me, especially with their amazing buy one get one half price offer at the moment) my friend confided in me that she wanted to expand her makeup collection, and got me to help her pick out a few basic products that would provide her with a makeup bag full of all the 'essentials'. This got me thinking that I would like to do a post on what products I would put in a makeup starter kit just to give anyone who is just starting out with makeup, or would like an idea about the best drugstore products, what kind of things to get.  Also I apologise for the fact that I haven't taken these photos, but I don't currently have all these products available at the moment in my stash.

Base:

For foundation I would recommend either Rimmel Wake Me Up or Bourjois Healthy Mix Radiance Reveal Serum, depending on what kind of coverage you would like. Rimmel wake me up is more of a builable medium coverage while the Healthy Mix Serum is light to medium. 

The concealer I would recommend is (surprise, surprise!) Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection. It has a fairly high coverage for erasing those pesky blemishes but is also great for undereyes.

For Powder I would say Rimmel Stay Matte, it's super cheap at £3.99, but is by far the best drugstore powder I've tried! It keeps your face matte but doesn't look too cakey and is just a great product for prolonging the wear of your makeup.

Eyes:

The eyeshadow palettes I would recommend are either the Sleek I-divines or the MUA palettes, both come in at under £10 and have great quality, highly pigmented eyeshadows, I reach for mine on a daily basis, probably more than even my Urban Decay Naked Palette!

Everyone needs a good khol liner, and whether you are after brown, black or nude (to brighten the waterline) I would recommend the Rimmel Scandaleyes waterproof pencils. They have great staying power, are easy to apply and come in a good range of colours for a drugstore brand.

The only drugstore mascara that I have tried that I have liked as much as my high-end choices is Revlon Grow Luscious Plumping , it's clump-free, gives the perfect amount of volume and claims to make your eyelashes grow faster- bonus!

Cheeks:

For blush I would recommend Sleek, they have a great variety of colours and finishes which are all extremely pigmented and amazing quality for their price.

The bronzer that I would point you towards, which I feel is good for both contouring and adding some colour to the cheeks is the Bourjois Delice de Poudre- it's a natural colour and, on top of that, it smells like chocolate- what's not to love?

Lips:

For lip colour, my choice would be without a doubt the Revlon Balm Stains, they add moisture and a good dose of colour to the lips without being hard to apply. On top of this they last a long time without the need for reapplication- I only wish they came in more shades!

The Rimmel Apocalips are great glosses, super pigmented, not at all sticky and they come in a variety of colours from nudes up to true reds.

Penny

xox

TAG: Why do I wear Makeup?

Hey Guys!

Today I thought I would do the 'Why do I wear Makeup Tag?' as I have seen many other beauty gurus doing it and I feel it's a really relevant, interesting tag for a beauty blogger to do. Clio and I have decided to do this tag separately to avoid creating a post which is way too long and so her half should be published shortly.

1. When did you begin loving makeup?

I experimented a lot with makeup from about 7 or 8 using the little sets I got free from my magazines at the time, so naturally this led to me leaving the house with interesting orange lipgloss-blue eyeshadow combinations! Over time (or at least I hope) I've become more into makeup and the proper techniques for applying it, and I would say that I really started loving makeup and what it can achieve aged about 11 or 12 when I needed a bit of a confidence boost and felt as if makeup gave me this.

2. How do you feel without makeup?

I don't mind going out without makeup nowadays, and probably once or twice a week I will go about my day to day activities totally makeup free as I wouldn't say it makes me feel any less confident, just slightly less 'put together'. A couple of years ago you would never have caught me leaving the house without my eyeliner but how I'm happier with my makeup-free face and so I'm perfectly fine with wandering around without my usual warpaint!

3. What do you like about makeup?

I love how the transformation makeup creates can have such a positive impact on people's self esteem and the way you can use it to mask any of your 'flaws' to generally make yourself feel totally glamorous and just amazing. Finally, I am not great at drawing or anything vaguely arty so I see makeup as a way of creatively expressing myself and I love learning new techniques and skills to make my 'masterpieces' even better!

4. What are your three Holy Grail items?

There are so many products that I love and use on an almost daily basis, but possibly my three most used, most loved items that I would consider as my holy grail products are:

1. The Real Techniques expert face brush- this brush was a game changer for me, making the application of my foundation way more flawless than I thought possible and also making the process of putting it on so much faster!

2. Benefit's Dandelion Brightening Face Powder- I'm in love with this product, for me and my Casper the Ghost- toned skin it's the perfect everyday blush, giving a nice flush of colour without being too over the top. Also, when I feel like my skin is looking a bit washed out I can put it all over my face and it 'brightens' my skin making me look much healthier. Plus it smells amazing too, always a bonus!

3. Rimmel Stay Matte Translucent Powder- sometimes I'm prone to getting a slightly shiny T-zone halfway through the day (glamorous, I know) but this product stops this problem in it's tracks without looking too cakey or heavy- a must have for me even on days when I'm wearing next to no other makeup.

Penny

xox

S/S '13 Nail Trends: Nail Jewellery

Hey Guys!

I have decided that over next next couple of weeks or so I will do a string of posts trying out and sharing with you guys the Spring/Summer 2013 nail trends that you may want to try out for yourselves! The first one that I decided to do was 'nail jewellery'. Now I found this one particularly interesting as it isn't just a look you can throw together with any old nail polish that is lying around! However, as buying specially designed 'nail jewellery' would probably end up being very overpriced, I looked around my room to try and find something that would make a suitable substitute. In the end, I came across these bead end caps from a broken bracelet that I had kept! I did have to bend them into shape, but that wasn't too difficult. And the upside of these is that you can use them again and again! Luckily they are also very cheap! If you look on eBay and Amazon you can get between 100 and 150 for a pound. This is definitely a more affordable alternative and it doesn't look any different!

To hold the bead end cap in place, I put a layer of top coat onto my nail, laid it down in the correct position and put another layer of top coat over the top. I waited for this to dry and it held it in place well. You can use nail jewellery as a statement look on one finger, to add a bit of edge to your normal coat of colour, or if you use smaller more subtle jewellery you could use it on all of your fingers!

 The base nail polish I used is one of my favourites: 'Black Cherry Chutney' by O.P.I. I have been wanting this colour for ages and I finally got my hands on it on Tuesday! Its a rich dark purple shades with a subtle fuchsia shimmer.

You can buy this shade from many beauty suppliers and Amazon in the UK and it may also be available to purchase at Debenhams depending what the have in stock at the time.

Overall I just think that this look is so easy to do and adds so much individuality and flair to your look! It is really worth doing so give it a try!

Clio

xox

NOTD: Glitter Galore!

Hey Guys!

 Okay so today you are getting a 'Nails Of The Day' post because I quite liked how I painted my nails! Its nothing special or difficult, just a good old coat (or three) of glitter nail polish! This simple go to style adds a bit of glamour to your everyday outfits and school uniform! (Even if you aren't meant to be wearing nail varnish at school!) Below you can see a few pictures showing how my nails look. It really is an easy way to give yourself a slightly more artsy and interesting manicure than just your bog standard layer of colour.

So these are the 5 nail polishes to use to create this look. Now, you don't need three different glitters for this but I love the effect glitter gives so I fished lots of different colours out of my nail varnish collection! I started off with a black base because it makes the colours stand out and look more vibrant against it. I then put lots and lots of layers of glitter nail varnish on and voila! You are done. All you have left to do is put on a layer of top coat. I used 'Sally Hansen Insta-Dri' because I am extremely impatient when it comes to letting nail varnish dry, but you can use any top coat you have to hand! 

As you can see, I really love Barry M nail varnish as it is very cheap and actually quite good quality for the price. If you haven't used Barry M before, definitely give it a try! You can buy all of these products from most good drugstores including Boots and Superdrug. Unfortunately though, the 'Barry M Superdrug Xmas Limited Edition' glitter polish isn't available to buy any more! 

The colours I used (in order of photograph) were:

Barry M Superdrug Xmas Limited Edition Glitter

Barry M Amethyst Glitter (354)

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat

Barry M Black (47)

Barry M Diamond Glitter (350)

WARNING: Glitter nail varnish is a real pain to get off!

Clio

xox

My Ultimate Beauty Lust List: Penny

Hey Guys!

Being a bit of a beauty junkie, I do have a fair amount of makeup, but obviously I am only a teenager so I don't have endless money to get every product I want. I thought today I would do a post about the makeup bag I would have and  the products I would have in it to share with you my ultimate beauty wishlist, this is only a small selection of the things I would love to own, if I was going to tell you all of them this post would be very, very long.

The Bag:

Ted Baker LEDA wash bag with bow detail in Powder Blue- £29

I've seen so many beauty guru's rave about this bag and I think it's super cute with the pastel colour and little bow (it's also practical for use as an every day makeup bag with its wipe-clean exterior) I may have to invest in this soon as my makeup bag has started to look a little worse for wear...

The Products:

Since I have so many products that I want (bad case of 'Veruca Salt' syndrome here, sorry guys) I've decided to put only one of each 'type' of product that I would like in, just to keep things slightly more streamlined.

1. Bobbi Brown Black Long Wear Gel Liner - £17

2. MAC lipstick in Patisserie- £14

3. NARS Blusher in Orgasm- £21.50

4. Benefit Girl Meets Pearl Highlighter- £24.50

5. Diorskin Nude BB cream- £30

6.Laura Mercier Oil-Free Primer- £28

7. Illamasqua cream pigment in Hollow- £17.50

 8. Dior Diorskin Forever Powder- £31.50

9. Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - £20

10. Stila Convertible Colour in Gerbera - £16

11. Clarins instant light natural lip perfecter in 05 Candy Shimmer- £17 

12. YSL Shocking Mascara - £23

All of these products are high-end ones I've heard rave reviews about but simply haven't had the money or time to purchase. Hopefully I'll be able to get a few of these in the future and gradually maybe I'll build up to getting them all (a girl can always hope...) 

Penny

xox

Product Spotlight: Seche Vite Topcoat

Hey Guys!

We are both obsessed with nail varnish and love painting our nails- but we hate waiting absolutely ages for them to dry, and then going on the computer or answering our phones and smudging the nail polish everywhere- it's beyond annoying! Luckily the brand Seche have come up with a solution for this problem in the form of the Seche Vite top coat and after hearing loads of our favourite bloggers and youtubers rave about it, we decided we had to get our hands on it! So, on a trip to Sally Hair and Beauty  we picked up a bottle.

The topcoat it self has a standard nail varnish formulation, with a slightly stronger scent than is normal for nail varnish. However, when you apply it on top of mostly-dry nail varnish you can really see what a difference it makes. As you can see on the picture it has smoothed out the smudges and ridges in the polish giving a shiny, flawless finish. In terms of the 'quick dry' claim, we would say that the nail with this on felt completely dry to the touch a good two minutes before the other, and also did not smudge once we carried on with our day-to-day activities. The top-coat makes our nail varnish last on average about a day longer than it would without it and it really helps to maintain the flawless finish that it creates, even when used with a cheaper nail polish.

Left = no S.V. Centre = with S.V. 

Right = S.V on its own

(colour on nails = Nails Inc's 'Cambridge')

Overall we would say that although at an RRP of £9 this is fairly expensive for a top coat, it is worth the cost as it really does help with the dry time of the nails and has removed the hardest part of painting the nails- waiting forever for them to dry- from our routine- a definite plus!

You can purchase Seche Vite from Sally Hair and Beauty Supply, some Boots stores and online at Feel Unique.

Penny & Clio

xox

Summer Steals: Floral Trend

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Hey guys! 

A key trend on the catwalk's for S/S '13 was floral prints. Here we've listed our Top 10 picks from what's currently available on the highstreet which are in keeping with this trend but in a much more wearable and affordable way than you may have seen at Fashion Week! 

Penny & Clio 

xox

The Zero Calorie Dessert... Candles

Hey Guys!

I have a confession to make: Hi, my name is Penny, and I am obsessed with Ikea. I know it'a not exactly normal for a teenage girl to enjoy trekking around a furniture shop, but they have so many nice pieces in there and I always come out with a bag full of little bits and pieces for my room (and probably some chocolate as well...).

Today I picked up a set of three candles as I've really got into using scented candles when I have a bath and to make my room smell nice. I was instantly drawn to the 'TINDRA LJUV' set as it had pictures of desserts on it and let's be honest, if a candle promises to make my room smell like chocolate cake (or cinnamon buns or creme caramel), how could I resist?

The candles don't disappoint in terms of scent, they really do smell like the desserts they claim to, and although I haven't had much of a chance to try them out yet, they have filled my room with the delicious smell of baking pastries, what's not to love about that?

According to the box each candle has a 25 hour burning time, and I can imagine this is about right as you do get a fair amount of candle in each glass jar- 75 hours of amazing smelling burning time for £2.95- bargain! 

The candle's are packaged in little glasses which are useful in terms of collecting any melted wax and stopping it dripping all over your work surface. Additionally I feel that the glasses make the candles look much more expensive than they are. Overall I just feel that these are a good buy if you want some nice scented candles but don't want to spend an absolute fortune!

You can purchase the TINDRA LJUV candles here or in most Ikea stores (in the UK) for an RRP of £2.95

Penny

xox

Product Spotlight: Maybelline 24 hr Colour Tattoo

Hey Guys!

There's a lot of buzz at the moment surrounding the 'Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo' eyeshadows. So on a recent trip to Boots we picked a couple up of our favourite shades to see if the hype is well deserved. The product is a long-wear cream shadow which claims to last '24 hours' (hence the name). We can't speak for the day long claim (neither of us has ever worn an eyeshadow for 24 hours at a time). However, they do last for as long as you want them to, with no smudging and very little creasing. 

As you can see the product comes in a little glass pot with a screw top lid, very similar to that of the 'MAC paint pots'- the overall appearance of the packaging is luxurious and simple - something we find very appealing. The shades you see here are 'On and On Bronze' (the pot with the forward facing label) and 'Permanent Taupe'- two neutral tones which are in keeping with the colour scheme we both favour.

Both shadows have a creamy formula enabling easy blending with either an eye shadow brush or your finger. As with most cream shadows  you can use them either as an eye shadow base or even just on their own for a quick fix! Although neither of us has worn this product for a whole 24 hours, there is one thing we can say for sure: your eyeshadow will not budge! We had difficulty even removing the swatches from our hands with a makeup remover wipe. You can be sure that on a night out your eye shadow won't be rubbing off! 

As shown in the picture'On and On Bronze' is a brown shimmer shadow with a warm golden undertone. However,  it is still a fairly subtle neutral colour to wear in the daytime- the shimmer just gives it that little bit more glamour! 'Permanent Taupe' is a darker matte brown shadow with purple-grey undertones, and it is another understated neutral, perfect for wear at work or school to accentuate your eyes without being too over the top!

Penny & Clio

xox

June: Beauty Haul

Hey Guys!

Today I went to the local shopping centre on a little fathers day shopping spree, but after walking past Superdrug multiple times, I couldn't help but have a little look inside! I also made a stop off at Lush to grab a few lip care items.

In Superdrug I bought the 'Real Techniques: Core Collection', a product that I have been wanting for a while! I only have one real brush, which is for eye shadow and I decided it was high time I treated myself to some new make up brushes! The collection consists of a 'detailer brush', a 'pointed foundation brush', a 'buffing brush' and a 'contour brush'. 

The next product I bought was a blush from Sleek in the colour 'Flushed' number 935. I really like the deep pink tone and the hint of shimmer that this product has! 

Lastly, I bought the Bourjois 'Healthy Mix Serum' gel foundation. This is a product that I have been really interested to try, as I have heard good things about it and it is also a gel foundation which is something that I have never tried before! Below you can see the swatches of the blended and unblended product.

After a fruitful trip to Superdrug, I went over to Lush to buy some lip care products. The first thing I bought was the 'Honey Trap' lip balm. As I have said in other posts, I have chapped lips at the moment so I thought that this would be the perfect remedy! 

The last thing that I bought was the Lush 'Mint Julips' lip scrub. Now, I particularly like this product as it is a mint flavoured and scented lip scrub made form sugar. So you scrub it on to your lips and you can lick it off them when you are done! They also do this product in popcorn and bubblegum flavours and it is something that I would definitely recommend for smooth lips! 

Here are the links to buy all of the products:

Lush Mint Julips Lips Scrub

Lush Honey Trap Lip Balm

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation

Sleek Blush 'Flushed' no.935

Real Techniques: Core Collection

Clio

xox