RiRi ♥ MAC Lipsticks in Pleasure Bomb & RiRi Woo

MAC's RiRi Hearts Holiday collection was launched on the UK MAC website on Tuesday 10th December. I fell in love with these lipsticks weeks ago when I first saw the press release photos and luckily I was able to purchase them both online, which was a miracle considering Pleasure Bomb sold out in about ten minutes! The packaging is beautiful, the traditional MAC lipstick bullet has been transformed from the classic black into a festive pearlescent white, with rose gold detailing. "RiRi ♥ MAC" is scrawled across the lid of the tube and "RiRi" is engraved into the actual product itself, so this would be great for Rihanna fans! 

The first lipstick  I bought is in the colour Pleasure Bomb, which is a bright fuchsia shade. Girl About Town, also from MAC, is fuchsia and it's one of my all-time favourite lipsticks, so I knew i'd get a lot of wear out of this one. It has a matte formula, so I was a little concerned as I have quite dry lips at the moment, but I tried this out with a layer of Vaseline underneath and it felt fine.

The second is RiRi Woo. RiRi Woo has been released numerous times now and as this is Rihanna's last collaboration with MAC I thought it was about time I got my hands on it! I have wanted a red MAC lipstick for a while and this one is a deep, classic red with cool undertones. It is a slight variation on MAC's coveted "Ruby Woo" lipstick, but this one has a retro matte formula, meaning it can be drying, but has great staying power. 

There was another lipstick shade released in this collection, Bad Girl RiRi, but it is a brownish taupe nude and I didn't think it would suit my skintone, so I passed on that one. I'm so happy that I managed to get these lipsticks as not only is the packaging to die for, they're amazingly pigmented and i'm really excited to start wearing them.

Unfortunately these lipsticks, as well as the rest of the collection, sold out online extremely quickly, but you might still be able to pick these up at MAC counters or at a MAC store.

Did you manage to pick up anything from the collection?

My Christmas List!

1- RiRi Hearts MAC Lipsticks in Pleasure Bomb and Riri Woo 

Available at MAC counters and maccosmetics.co.uk

I never really get excited about MAC limited edition collections but these two lipsticks from Rihanna's final collection with MAC look absolutely beautiful. They're released in England on the 10th December but they are sure to sell out fast so fingers crossed i'm able to get my hands on them.

2- NAKED 3 Palette by Urban Decay

Available from Urban Decay

I got the original NAKED palette almost a year ago now and I still use it daily. I wasn't overly keen on the colour selection in the NAKED 2, but the colours in this third palette look so pretty, feminine and girly and I really love the rose gold packaging. Urban Decay still haven't really released much information as to the UK release dates etc, but i'm going to Paris in January so i'm hoping i'll be able to pick it up from Sephora.

3- Riding Boots in Black & Brown

Available from Target

I love my Chelsea boots, but i'd love a pair of slightly longer boots to wear with skinny jeans and leggings and i've been eyeing up these boots from Target which are very reasonably priced and look really classy. However, Target don't ship to the UK so i'll have to try and find an alternative :(

4-Miss Dior Eau de Parfum

Available from John Lewis

I got a sample of this perfume last year in Vogue and immediately fell in love with it. My boyfriend bought me a bottle in May and i've nearly used it all up so i'd love to get a new one as I really do think it could be "my scent"! I'm not even going to attempt to describe it as i'm hopeless at that kind of thing, but if you get a chance to smell it at a perfume counter i'd definitely recommend it! It's amazing.

5-Tote Bag

Available from ASOS

My bags are all getting a bit worn out due to the weight of my university books (English student woes...), so I could really do with a new one. Obviously I wouldn't say no to a Mulberry, but this is a little more realistic. Typically I tend to veer towards brown bags as I think they go well with a lot of outfits. It looks a lot more expensive than it really is and I think it's a stylish but practical everyday bag.

6- Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Camera in Pink

Available from Urban Outfitters

I've wanted a Polaroid style camera for years and this one creates little instagram style photos which I think would look lovely hung up on my bedroom wall at uni or in a scrapbook. AND IT'S PINK!

7- Lorde Pure Heroine Album

Available from Play.com

I've been listening to this album on Spotify and YouTube non-stop recently. It's really rare for me to actually like every single song on an album but with this one I do. The songs are quite relaxing so it's great to listen to whilst doing uni work and a lot of the lyrics are really clever. 

What will you be asking for this year?

Blog Sale Bargains!

Hello again lovelies! Lately I have been really getting into blog sales. Despite the fact that I spend an alarming amount of money on beauty products, I still love a bargain and blog sales are a great chance to try out new brands and products for a really great price. I got all of these products from the Sophie's Beautique blog sale and I only paid £22 (including delivery) for everything which is amazing and means I saved about £70! I'm really happy with everything I got so I thought I would share them with you all.

First up is this beautiful Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in 493 Jade Rose. This colour was actually limited edition, so I was really lucky to get my hands on it. It is a classic, slightly peach nude which leaves your nails looking perfectly polished and sophisticated. In the bottle you can see some iridescent pink shimmer, although this doesn't really show up on the nails. This nail varnish does require two or three coats to achieve full opacity as it is rather sheer, but the final colour is so pretty that I don't really mind! 

Next up is another Chanel product- Le Sourcil De Chanel Perfect Brows Kit in the shade 20 Brun. I've been using MAC's Charcoal Brown eyeshadow to fill in my brows for months now, but I wanted to try something new. This beautifully packaged little kit comes with three different shades of powder, which can be used separately, or mixed together to create a perfect match for your natural brow colour. It also contains a little brush and teeny tiny tweezers, which actually work really well. The mirror inside is magnified too which is really useful. I haven't had the chance to use this yet so I can't go into too much more detail, but i'm really excited about trying this out.

The next thing I purchased was this MAC lipstick in Myth. It is a satin finish, meaning it gives quite an opaque, matte result which can sometimes be quite drying, but i'm sure that applying some lip balm beforehand will make it more wearable. Myth is a light nude, which usually I tend to shy away from as my natural lip colour is so pigmented, but as this is so opaque I find it a lot easier to wear. Cremesheen finishes are still my favourites at the moment, but overall this is a lovely nude and i'm glad it's now in my collection! 

The final thing that I purchased was this MAC 15 pan pro palette. It is one of the old style palettes without the clear lid, but I actually prefer this style as it comes with the pan inserts in it already, whereas with the new palettes they are sold separately. I only have two MAC eyeshadows as I rarely stray from my Urban Decay Naked palette (the original one), but I depotted them and put them in my palette and it has definitely inspired me to buy more! It will also work out cheaper in the long run, as now when I buy MAC shadows I can just buy the pro palette refill pans and save £2.50 on packaging each time.

(From top to bottom-Wedge and Charcoal Brown)

I hope you enjoyed this post, i'm really looking forward to trying out all of my new things! Have you ever bought anything from a blog sale?

Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Balm in "Give Me A Cuddle"

Hello again lovelies! A huge number of cosmetics brands ranging from Clinique to Soap & Glory have adopted the "lip crayon" and made it their own. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before Rimmel jumped on the bandwagon and launched their own version, which was released in early September. Personally i've never been tempted to try one out before, but i've really been won over by this product. First of all, could the shade name BE any cuter?! 

Adorable name aside, I love this product. I love the fact that the tube swivels up, meaning you don't have to sharpen it and make a mess and can easily twist it up when you need more. The actual formula of the product is great too. It has the moisturising qualities of a lip balm (this is coming from someone who suffers with chapped lips a LOT) and the pigmentation and creaminess of a really great lipstick. The colour pay-off itself is considerably more opaque in comparison to a lot of the more sheer, glossy lip crayons that are on the market and once the initial balmy finish has worn off, the colour remains slightly stained on your lips, so the longevity of this product is great. The other six colours in the range look great too, i've got my eye on "Drive Me Nude" and "The Redder The Better"!

The Colour Rush Balms have an RRP of £5.99 and can be bought from your local Boots or Superdrug, as well as any supermarkets with a Rimmel counter. 

The Superdrug website doesn't currently have this shade in stock, but you can get it online from Boots here.

What do you think? Have you tried any lip crayons?

NARS Foreplay Orgasm Palette Review

Hey lovelies! 

I bought this limited edition NARS palette in a blog sale recently and it's so beautiful that I just had to share it with you! Never one for subtle names, this palette is called Foreplay and is inspired by the famous Orgasm blush. 

I'm relatively new to NARS products, I only own the Laguna bronzer and the Orgasm illuminator, but i've wanted to try out a NARS blush for ages and had heard a lot about the Orgasm blush. Therefore, when I saw this lovely palette I thought it would be a great way to try a few different colours out. 

The packaging is lovely, the rubberised case looks very sleek and high end, but unfortunately I doubt it will stay this way for long as NARS packaging gets dirty very quickly! 

The individual colours do not have names, but there is a dark peach shade (1), a golden highlighter (2), a matte fuchsia pink (3) and Orgasm (4), which is compiled of all of these different aspects, therefore creating a peachy pink with hints of golden shimmer. I have read reviews online however which have claimed that the Orgasm shade in this palette differs slightly to the original Orgasm, but as I don't own it I can't really comment on this. Nonetheless, I am glad it is the biggest shade in this palette as on me it shows up as a beautiful pink/rose gold colour. That said, the two matte colours are also lovely and are the most pigmented. I actually think that the golden colour would double up as a great brow bone highlight too, so this is a really versatile little palette. 

The only major downside I would say this palette has is that the highlight colour in particular is extremely small, which makes applying it with a big brush quite tricky. Also, if you fall in love with any of these shades (excluding Orgasm), you can't repurchase them outside of this palette, which is slightly irritating as they're so lovely!

Overall, I love this palette and I think it is a great way of trying out the formulation of NARS blushes without having to invest in four different products. All of the blushes have a silky soft texture which makes applying and blending them into the skin really easy and results in a very natural looking finish. The compact packaging makes it ideal for travelling and the blushes themselves are really beautiful and I can tell I am going to get a lot of use out of this palette!

You can buy this palette for £39.50 from narscosmetics.co.uk.

Have you tried any NARS blushes? 

No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser & Quick Thinking Wipes Review

Just before I left for university a few weeks ago, my sister gave me a voucher she had got from Boots for £5 off No7 skincare. As you'll know if you've seen my Starting Off: Skincare post, I very rarely invest in decent skincare products and so I took this as a chance to try out the No7 Beautiful Skin range The products are more expensive than my usual Olay choices, but not as steep as some high-end skincare brands. 

The first thing I picked was the No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser. I've been wanting to try out the  Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser for a while now, but at £24.75 for 200ml in comparison to the £4.95 that the No7 version cost with my discount, it was a no brainer! In the box you get a 200ml tube of product, which I can tell is going to last me absolutely ages, because you only really need one pump of the cleanser per use. It also comes with a muslin cloth, which is great as it saves you having to go out and buy one, but to be honest it isn't that impressive and a hot flannel would probably work just as well. The actual product itself however is really impressive!

I use it about once a week, massaging the cleanser over my face, then running the muslin cloth under a hot tap, wringing it out and then placing it on my face. I usually wait around 5-10 minutes before taking it off, as the muslin cloth starts to get cold and quite simply I get bored! But it is really relaxing, has a lovely scent and leaves my skin feeling like it's been really thoroughly cleaned. Personally I suffer from dry skin and it really helps to exfoliate away any dry patches and as long as I moisturise straight after patting my face dry, my skin is left feeling really soft.

When I bought the cleanser, I was actually given another £5 off voucher and so a couple of days later I decided to buy the No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes, which usually retail at £7. Now, you'd think that for £7 you'd be getting a pretty spectacular pack of wipes. Unfortunately not.

It's not that they're particularly bad, it's more that I really can't tell the difference between these wipes and the £1 packs of wipes that I usually get from Superdrug/Savers/Asda etc. Also, the Boots website claims that they're "suitable for all skin types and remove even waterproof mascara", yet when I use them to take off my eye make-up they make my eyes sting and feel slightly sore, which is strange because I don't really have sensitive skin and never usually get affected in this way by make-up removers. 

Overall, I was really impressed with the Hot Cloth Cleanser as it leaves my skin feeling incredibly clean and I would definitely repurchase it again, but I would still like to try out the Liz Earle equivalent just to see how they compare. The wipes however I have not really got on well with and I don't really think the price is justified.

Have you tried any No7 skincare products? 

My First Chanel Lipstick: Rouge Coco Shine #85 Secret

Yesterday my boyfriend and I went to Plymouth and being the lovely boy that he is, he treated me to a few things, one of them being my first ever Chanel lipstick! I was convinced that I wanted to get a YSL Rouge Volupté lipstick, but I wasn't particularly impressed with the colour range they had available and those that I did like the look of were sold out anyway. So, I went over to the Chanel counter, a place i've never ventured to before and had a browse. This lipstick really caught my eye and after trying it on in House of Fraser I knew it was the one I wanted. But, just my luck, it was sold out too! However, I ran to the Debenhams up the road and luckily they had one in stock! 

This lipstick is a Rouge Coco Shine from the limited edition Fall 2013 Superstition collection, inspired by "the symbols of good fortune that Gabrielle Chanel loved most" and is in the colour 85 Secret. It is a nude, slightly peach shade with a hint of shimmer. Due to the nature of the Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks it is very creamy and hydrating which is perfect for me because my lips tend to chap quite easily, particularly in the colder months (AKA every month in England)! However, I have been extremely impressed with the opacity of this lipstick. Despite being quite sheer, it is very buildable and creates a semi-opaque finish resulting in a natural "your lips but better" effect. 

This lipstick retails for £24, so obviously it isn't cheap, but I really think it is worth it. There are a lot of fantastic drugstore lipsticks on the market, but in regards to the packaging they really can't compete as this is absolutely beautiful. It makes me feel special every time I use it and it has immediately become one of my favourite products in my make-up collection. The formula itself isn't amazingly long-lasting due to the light creamy nature of it, however that just gives me more of an excuse to keep getting it out! ;) The lovely lady at the Chanel counter also gave me some free samples of the Coco Mademoiselle perfume and the new CC (Correction Complete) cream, so i'm excited to try those out too.

To find out more about the other shades in the Rouge Coco Shine range check out the Chanel website here. 

At the time of writing this post this lipstick is available from the Debenhams or Selfridges websites, however it is limited edition so if you want it you'd better hurry!

Have you ever tried a Chanel lipstick? Do you have any recommendations? 

"Invite Only" Revlon Lip Butter Review

If you read beauty blogs or watch beauty gurus on YouTube, then chances are you'll have heard of the Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters. They are beautiful balmy lipsticks which are very hydrating, but also deposit a sheer, yet buildable level of colour. I bought my first two back in August, so to read my initial thoughts on the shades Strawberry Shortcake and Candy Apple click here. Since then, i've accumulated three more lip butters, one of which is the limited edition teal shade, called "Invite Only". 

As you can see, it is a blue/green shade reminiscent of the famous tiffany blue. As with the other lip butters it comes in beautiful quilted packaging, which I love. I tend to play it extremely safe when it comes to my lip colour, usually opting for peachy pink nude tones and the occasional red. Therefore, considering the impressive pigmentation of my other lip butters I was slightly scared about trying this one out, but also quite excited to see how bizarre I would look with blue lips! However, I need not have worried because this lip butter barely deposits any colour whatsoever. I've read online that the subtle blue tone is intended to give the illusion of whiter teeth, but the specks of blue glitter are so tiny and sporadic that I really don't think it makes any difference at all. 

It is quite hydrating, but with an RRP price of £7.99 it's pretty pricey for what is essentially a clear balm considering you can pick up a pot of Vaseline for £1.99. 

Below I have swatched my other lip butters in order to show a comparison of the pigmentation of each shade. 

(l-r Invite Only, Tutti Frutti, Candy Apple, Strawberry Shortcake, Sugar Frosting)

Unfortunately, in my opinion this product is a bit of a gimmick and I think a lot of people are going to be sucked in by the novelty factor. However, if you're someone who religiously collects the lip butters it's a fun addition to your collection and it serves reasonably well as a lip balm.

Unfortunately, as this shade was limited edition it is no longer on sale on the Superdrug or Boots websites, however some stores may still have one or two left. As a last resort, there are some sellers on ebay selling them, however they are generally more expensive. 

Have you tried any Revlon lip butters? Would you try Invite Only?

NYX Matte Makeup Setting Spray Review

Hello again!
Today I just wanted to do a quick review on a product that I’ve been loving recently and that is the newly released Matte Finish Setting Spray from NYX. I gave into the hype a few months ago and bought MAC’s coveted Fix +, which is supposed to be a 2 in 1 skin refresher and finishing mist. Whilst I cannot deny that a quick spritz of it is very refreshing, I didn't see a significantly noticeable difference in the staying power of my make-up when I used it and at £8 for a tiny travel-sized bottle, I doubt I will purchase it again. This somewhat put me off of the idea of setting sprays, but I was kindly given this product from my work experience mentor at Heat magazine (for more details on this click here!) and it has really impressed me!

On the NYX website they say “When you spend the time for your makeup to be just right, it’s nice to keep it looking that way.” There is nothing more annoying than doing your makeup really well, only to then discover that in a few hours it’s all started to come off! I’m ashamed to say that there have actually been times when I’ve been so desperate to increase my makeup’s longevity that I’ve sprayed my face with hairspray! (Oh the shame…)

The setting spray comes in two different varieties, a matte finish and a dewy finish. Personally I prefer a matte finish and sometimes I find, particularly with MAC’s Fix + , that some setting sprays actually give a more dewy effect to the skin. However, this one does not. It doesn’t affect the look of my makeup at all, it simply sets it and keeps it looking freshly applied for longer. At the same time, if you are someone who likes a dewy finish instead, you can opt for the dewy finish version for more of a glow!

Although the spray pump doesn’t look like anything special, it actually disperses the product really evenly, creating a fine mist which dries almost instantly.  I primarily use this on nights out or day trips, when I know i’m going to want my makeup to stay on for as long as possible. However, if I remember I use it on an everyday basis also, as it “shields your flawless look from temperature variations, sweat and air pollution”. This is a bold claim from NYX but I am genuinely really happy with this product and it’s definitely something that I will continue to use, because it really does do what it claims. This setting spray comes in at £8 for a 60ml bottle, which is a great deal as a little goes a long way with this product and I only ever need to use about two or three spritzes of this at a time.

NYX Cosmetics tend to be pretty hard to locate here in the UK, but you can buy this from their online shop here.

Have you ever tried any makeup setting sprays? 

Bourjois Java Rice Powder

I was lucky enough to win a Bourjois competition on Twitter recently and my prize was this new (well, old...) Java rice powder. This year marks Bourjois' 150th birthday, so to celebrate the occasion they have re-released their Java rice loose powder, which was their first ever best-selling product. It's hard to believe that the product was originally launched back in 1879!

The beautiful mint green packaging with the product name in French is inspired by the Parisian-style packaging of the original product, which I think is a lovely touch.

The Bourjois website states that the original version was "designed to lighten skin and leave it silky-soft" and for the most part that remains to be true. However, the product has been reformulated somewhat into a pearlescent, radiance boosting loose powder, which personally I think would be best used as a highlighter, although you could definitely use it all over your face if you wanted to. The powder is only available in one shade currently, a shimmery, transparent, slightly pink shade, which I think would flatter a lot of skintones.

Personally I twist the product to open it and then tip some of the powder into the lid and swirl my brush around in it, to avoid making any mess, which is the only trouble with loose powders. The product itself is very finely milled, meaning it adds a very natural looking glow to the face, without looking caked on or adding any garish chunks of glitter. 

Above is a photo of the powder before blending it in, to show the subtle, soft pink shade. Below I have blended it in and you will see that it clearly gives an highlighting, illuminating effect.

 Another feature of this powder that deserves to be commented on is definitely the smell! It smells similar to the Bourjois little pot blushes, but with a more pungent floral scent. Quite simply the only way I can describe this smell is "vintage", it reminds me of my Nan! I love it, it reminds me of the way old-fashioned make-up used to smell and I think it's a lovely detail. However, if you're not one for scented products you may not like it!

Bourjois have confirmed that this Java rice powder will be joining their permanent line, retailing for £9.99. Originally it was only available from Selfridges, but you can now find it in Boots and Superdrug.

Have you tried this product? Would you like to?