Thursday Thoughties - No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara ♥

Hey Guys, time for Thursday Thoughties again, and today it's going to be on the No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara, bit of a mouthful! It claims to be nutrient enriched, so all good and healthy for my little lashlets!

It is priced at around £13.00 I believe, but I had a nifty No7 voucher from Boots, because when you spend over a fiver you get a fiver No7 voucher, which is fab.

I was in need of a new mascara so I thought I might as well spend the voucher and get a No7 one, as I haven't tried any of their mascaras. I usually go for a volumising mascara with a thick-ish bristly brush, you know the ones, but this is pretty much the exact opposite.

I love the sparkly jade green packaging, I think it makes it look quite luxurious and reminds me somewhat of Harrods! 

The brush itself is a plastic bristle brush, with three different lengths on it. The aim of this mascara is to maximise the amount of lashes and not the volume particularly, so I did have to keep this in mind as I'm not used to that. There are teeny tiny bristles one side, to get right into those lashes you couldn't usually reach. Then the two longer ones help to elongate the littluns, and extend the biguns! 

It actually does a really good job, and does give me loads more lashes than what I usually have, with certainly no clumps. I do sometimes feel though that the plastic brush doesn't always pick up a lot of the product, meaning continuously dipping back in the tube, but I can live with that. 

Scary eye picture time... Sorry for the rubbish quality I haven't got my camera with me, but you can just about see that it picks up a lot of lashes! It's also not a 'wet' mascara if you know what I mean, like if you were to sneeze when applying it (how irritating is it when that happens?), it wouldn't really cover your eye in it all because it dries pretty quickly.

Overall I do really like the mascara, but tend to use it first to catch individual lashes, and then use volumising mascara afterwards for more of a flare. 

Keep your eyes peeled as I'm going to do my first giveaway with this mascara soon if you are interested in trying it. Everyone loves a freebie!

Rating out of 5: *****

Ciao for now XxX

Thursday Thoughties - Garnier B.B Cream ♥

Hola Senoritas! I hope everyone is having a good week so far!

Thursday thoughties time again, and this week it's on the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector B.B Cream. 

There is a lot of sceptical-ness regarding BB creams, and plenty of battles on which is the best one. I have read SO many reviews on different ones, and tried the Vivo one which I actually disliked in the end for being far to cakey. However, it appeared unanimous that the Garnier perfector was one of the finer things in life on the old  B.B front.

Garnier are currently sending out free samples of the stuff, wehey! Get yours HERE. Everyone loves something for nothing if we are all being open and honest now. The full sized product is around a tenner and because I am on the fence about B.B creams, it wasn't something I wanted to just go out and buy. I received my samples two days ago, and was only expecting one sachet but you get three! Also one sachet is enough for two applications, so six faces worth! 

This is what the full sized bottle looks like, and because I am a dope I left the bottle at home, so image resourced from Google.

This was my little sample pack. It explains all what a B.B cream is and what it does. If you don't know still then narrowed down it is a hybrid between skincare and make up, and I would personally place it between a tinted moisturiser and a foundation. For me, when I want to spend minimal time on my make up before work, and don't want to use my nice foundation up for work days that not many people see me, it's the perfect choice!

As soon as I tried it I absolutely loved it! It is not at all cakey like others, not too dark for me although I doubt anyone paler would really get away with it, and this is in shade light. I used it with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush and It gives you plenty of time to work with it before it sinks in and dries. It smells really nice and fresh and after a couple of hours I can still smell it on my skin - Ed says it smells like the seaside, good or bad thing???

Sorry for the awful picture yet again, you wouldn't think I was a qualified photographer would you haha! Good old Iphone bloggy pics. Anyway, this is my skin after six hours today, and really it doesn't look much different to this morning, so it has good staying power too. I went straight out and bought the full sized bottle because I need this in my life now, as I am running out of my NARS Sheer Glow so I'm savouring every little drop of the stuff.

Overall, best B.B cream for me, and I don't think I am going to bother trying any more because I have found my love in this department!

Have you tried it? Tell me if you don't like it too!

Ciao for now XxX

May Glossybox and Wedding Bells ♥

Howdy! So it's almost the weekend time again, and I'm super excited, especially with all this good weather that I haven't yet been able to have a share of.

First off, I just had to include this picture of my little Bunnykins! I cleaned up all our bedroom so she can have a good run about now, so we decided to shut our door and leave her out through the night so she can hop in and out of her cage if she wanted. I think she really enjoyed her little self, and as we were settling down for bed, this is the position she got herself in! How sweet is that! We love her to pieces, she couldn't get much cuter.

So it was the one year anniversary Glossybox this month, and I was excited to receive it, as always! But across the board I get the feeling everyone was expecting something a lot more this month, but I suppose we have to remember it IS a sample testing service, and not everybody is going to like what goes into it, so I guess the guys at Glossybox HQ have their work cut out. I love the pretty paper packaging this month.

I won't waffle on too long, but for a quick overview I'll put what I got, and briefly what I think.

Noble Isle Shower Gel = Smells actually like fairy liquid, doesn't do anything for me but I'll use it as a tide-me-over, or give it to the hubby because it does smell a little masculine.

Express Beauty Mask with Honey = I got two of these sachets, and I didn't know if it was a face or hair mask because half of the packaging is in a different language! It is a face mask and I do like them however, I am still yet to try this so I'll let you know.

Si Lolita and Lolita Lempicka Perfume Samples = I have never smelt a Lolita Lempicka fragrance before, but they are ones I always see in the airport duty frees. I think the Si Lolita does smell a little bit old lady - I'm gonna put it out there!! But the Lolita Lempicka, oh my gosh I love it. It is super sweet - just how I like frangrances, and I'm thinking of purchasing it or asking for it for my birthday.

OSMO Berber Oil hair treatment = I have actually never tried a hair oil before, so I was pleased to see this. I'm not really into hair care much apart from dying it to buggeration, but I'll definitely try it. My hair is pretty long and thick so I don't know if it would cover mine but we shall see!

Eldora False Eyelashes = I got some with gold streaks in! I am very pleased with these because I am currently planning on doing a few self portrait shoots for my make up portfolio and these go exactly with a look I am going to be trying out, so surprisingly good for me.

Lastly a Glossybox mirror and Balloon, I love the mirror, can never have to many because I always lose them! And its double sided so that's good. And then there's the balloon. Well, when am I ever going to use that?

Overal an OK box, nothing I totally love in there besides the Lolita Lempicka perfume, so there we go. Bring on the next one!

Just a quickie, anyone else noticed Tesco have started doing these acrylic spinney pen holder majigys? This was only around £3.00 so I thought it would be good to put just my everyday pencils and brushes in. All they need to start doing now are those clear Muji drawers and my prayers would be answered!

Finally, on to the weekend! If you follow me on twitter - @misswicktilleth - you may know that I am off to the lake district with Ed, his sister Maria and her boyfriend Jonny tonight. We have a meeting with a wedding co-ordinator at the hotel we want to get married in up there at 10am tomorrow morning (Saturday 26th), and she is going to show us around then we are putting our deposit down! I'm so excited, it is all becoming pretty real now and once we have got this down, we can really start to plan things. Hopefully I will get some pictures up there so I shall pop them on next week.

These are some roses Ed got me last night as a surprise! Aww he is so cute, I'm a lucky woman!

Have a great weekend guys!

Ciao for now XxX

Thursday Thoughties - M&S Limited Lipstick ♥

Bonjourno! My apologies, I have been a somewhat absent blogger this week. It is really because I am desperately trying to save my pennies which means I don't have much wonga for beauty items *cries*, therefore not a fat lot to blog about either! However, I did have a sneaky little purchase over last weekend of one of the Marks and Spencers new Limited Collection of cosmetics. I had heard Pixiwoo go on about it and it all looked so pretty when I walked by, I couldn't not try it, and they had an offer for a percentage off all make up which was great when I got to the till!

So the colour I had picked was a fairly bright orange, which isn't like me really but I'm always up for trying new colours! Sorry about the picture, it's been well loved already. The shade is Melba Blush, and is a dusky kind of orange with a very super fine shimmer to it. They retail at five pounds each, but as I say it was a little cheaper due to the offer they had on, but forgive me I have forgotten it!

Swatched on my hand it doesn't look as zingy, but it really is a lovely colour. The formulation is so moisturising, it just glides on the lips so smoothly! The texture definitely reminds me of the Revlon Lip Butters but with a bit more of a colour pay off. Longevity wise, I keep re-applying it every one to two hours if I really want it to stay vibrant, but it does fade out nicely if you haven't got time to keep re-applying - you aren't left with a big orange line around the edges of your lips.

This is how it looks on the lips, it can look nice and bright but the further away you are it seems it isn't that bright. I actually really love the colour, I don't know if it's great with my blue hair, but when my eyes are done to match it kind of takes away the attention from that. This is a moisturising satin finish I would say. Another rubbish picture sorry, I'm a freckly speckly at the moment with all this sun!

This is how it looks with an overall make up look I did - and a mini outfit of the day for you! So the look was inspired by the dress I had from Matalan, which I mentioned in an earlier post, so I matched my face to suit because I am weird like that. I did a sort of sunset eye with the colours of the aztec print on the dress, and the Melba Blush lipstick was the perfect combination. See, it doesn't look overly bright here either, must depend on what light you are in.

Overall I really love this lipstick and will definitely be getting some more!

Rating out of five: *****

Ciao for now XxX

Thursday Thoughties - MUA vs Sleek Pressed Powder ♥

Hello! It's Thursday again and time for a Thursday Thoughties review post. This week seems to have gone pretty quick I think! 

I've got the MUA pressed powder, and the Sleek Luminous Pressed Powder which are both products I have purchased recently. I had the Sleek Powder before the MUA, and it was priced around £6.00, available in larger Superdrug stores. This is a luminous pressed powder with SPF15 in it, and is very fine with a slight shimmer to it. The MUA pressed powder is only £1.00 and it is a completely matt powder, and has a slightly 'chalkier' texture - that is the only way I can think to describe it!

Both very reasonably priced products, especially the MUA powder, as you can see I have hit pan on the Sleek one. They are both great for the money and I use them both as setting powders over my foundation. They are both great for different reasons, I think the MUA is a perfect everyday powder, it seems to be long lasting in the pan and lasts around three to four hours before my super oily T-zone gets the better of it. 

The sleek powder I prefer for nights out, as it adds a lovely 'satin' finish on the skin, rather than being so mattifying. It seems to last around the same time as the MUA powder, maybe oh-so-slightly longer! Packaging wise, MUA is very basic and it is literally the product you are paying for, but I don't mind that for a pound! Sleek however does come with a mirror, and a sponge applicator so it is great for carrying around on the go.

This is how they both look swatched. The left is Shade 1 by MUA and the right is 01 by Sleek. As you can see, the colours are very much the same, it is just the added shimmer in the Sleek powder. As an overall thought, I don't think I shall purchase the Sleek powder again, as I prefer the matt look of the MUA, and I'm saving myself a fiver! Win win! Still, they are both great products for drugstore brands and worth a try!

Rating out of five

Sleek ****

MUA *****

Ciao for now! XxX

Thursday Thoughties - Collection Naturally Matt ♥

Hellooo! So from now on, I figured that I am going to do a review type post on a Thursday. I always say I am going to do a review on products, and never seem to get round to it, so from here forth - I shall! I purchase many different cosmetics as a hobby really, because that is what makes me happy - and you should always do what makes you happy! So, I am going to share my thoughts with you, because if there is something you are thinking of getting but you aren't sure, then you can save your pennies until you make your mind up from my opinion!

Of course it will always be what I personally think, I have never been sent and item or paid for any review, so it is 100% going off my own purchase and my own opinion!

To get started then, in my previous, recent haul, I purchased the Collection 2000 Naturally Matt Foundation. I am a tad on the oily side so it is always nice to try a matt foundation. I recently tried the Number 17 Matt foundation and it could only be described as disastrous - but we won't continue with that.

Packaging wise, it is a nice and easy squeezy tube, and says all it needs to on it! I like the black packaging, I think it is always a safe option to look smart. This retails at a pretty shocking £2.98, which I feel I should of paid more for! 

I got it in the shade Blonde 2, which is second in line I believe. They were all out of the lightest shade and I was so desperate to try it I got it anyway. It is a real shame because it is a couple of shades to dark for my skin tone, but hey - nothing a bit of fake tan can't sort out!

Swatched on my hand it looks like this. It is a fairly light consistency with a medium coverage. The top swatch is how it first applies, and underneath you can see it blended in just about. You do have to work fairly quickly with it before it starts to dry, but it does give you enough time to work with, not like Number 17 that is just cake.

For the money, I actually really like the coverage. My everyday foundation is now NARS sheer glow, so I find it really hard to go back to a drugstore after that. At the moment I am trying to savour the last bits of my NARS, so this Collection one is stepping in during the days I am at work. It is mattifying and this is how it looks on. 

Overall, I think it is a really great Matt foundation for how cheap it is, obviously not suitable for dry skin because it will just patch up in the dry areas. However for me, with combination to oily skin it is great! I only wish I had the correct shade, so I am going to have to go back and see if they have it in stock!

Hope this was helpful to you, and if you are are looking for a less pricey Matt foundation, I'd definitely give it a go! Thumbs up from me!

Rating out of 5 = * * * *

Ciao for now! xXx

Make Up Haul, MUA, MAC, Illamasqua ♥

Ahoy there! Did everybody have a nice bank holiday weekend? I hope so! Even with less than a week to Beauty UK, unfortunately I could not fight the make up minions that live inside my brain, and well and truly overspent in Birmingham. Although I only got two higher end products, it all adds up and I ended up in Primark too! Man alive, am I paying for it now.

You only live once is one of my favourite sayings ;)

So I'll just whizz through, just to give you an idea of what is out there at the moment! As you may or may not know, MACs new 'Hello Sailor' collection was launched this week, and as only this year I have learnt about MAC *shock horror*, I haven't had any of the patterned, limited edition collections. I loved this one though,  so I had to get something from it! I picked up the Frost lipstick in 'To Catch a Sailor', and it is a gorgeous sheer gold colour. I know the frost lipsticks aren't the best for colour, but I find that this one is buildable, suitable for everyday wear, or build it up and it is a very metallic bronze gold. It is a different colour for me, but I'm all into trying new things! That was £14.00. 

Talking of new things, I have been lusting after Illamasqua's Apocalips since the Human Fundamentalism collection came out! As you know, my hair is turquoise so this is a must have! Obviously not for everyday wear, but it's just something I need in my life! It is a little darker than the advertisement photos, but with a blue lip/eyeliner, or a white one underneath, that soon brightens it up. The make up artist in Selfridges put it on me so I was walking around town with blue lips, which made me look like a drag queen because she extended my cupids bow, and didn't do the best job. I don't want to tell my grandmother how to suck eggs, but I soon wiped it off. That was £15.50.

Primark have bought out their own lipbalms! They smell a bit dodgy I must admit, like more clinical than the smell they are meant to be, but for £1.00 I got two, just to shove in my bag!

I have got a fancy dress party for Ed's brothers birthday in June, which doubles as our Queen's jubilee date so we have to dress all patriotic! Most people are going as the Royals, so I thought I would be different and go as a Union Jack! I have a Union Jack dress, deely boppers, lip tattoo...the list goes on! In Primark I found these nail wraps for £1.00! I have never tried nail wraps before, but they are perfect so I will give them a go! 

I then came across this spray rapid dry for nails. It was on the test table at Superdrug and I was extremely sceptical about it. I had a go however, and it works like a dream! It's a bit wet at first but I felt the nail after about 30 seconds and it was already pretty much dry. I am looking forward to properly trying it out, and I shall later review it. This was £3.59. Next up, MUA.

We all know and love MUA, and I have tons of the stuff, but I hadn't got the red lipstick yet! Louise at Sprinkle of Glitter always says how much she loves it, and I have four other pink shades but not the red, so for £1.00 I had to get it! I am yet to try, but I'm sure it shall be fabulous!

I also naughtily got a couple of other bits while I was there. I am actually determined to have the whole collection. I got the face powder in shade 1, because I usually use the Sleek Luminous face powder, but this is £1.00 so I thought I should try it, and compare. I got the two remaining blushers that I don't have, in shade  2 and shade 6. I absolutely love the MUA blushers, I couldn't recommend them more because the colours, application and price are all beautiful.

I then picked up the new brush on concealer. I don't think this is going to be a product I stick with, as my 'go-to' concealer is of course the Collection 2000 lasting perfection. It is in one of those applicators that have the twisty, clicky bit on the bottom, to which you have to wait a lightyear for the product to come out - then it all comes out at once! Does that happen to you? It seems to dry quickly too so not that easy to blend, and although it is the light shade, it is still a few shades dark for me. That was £2.00.

And finally the last few items. Eyeliners and plumping lip gloss. In Illamasqua, when I had Apocalips put on, the Make up artist lined my lips with a blue liner, and then put on the lipstick. Of course, she tried to sell it to me, but I knew I could get the exact colour from MUA for a pound!! And lets face it, I'm not gonna wear it everyday. It is in shade 'Turquoise' and is a very close dupe to 'Debonair' from Illamasqua, just £12.00 cheaper. I got the 'Royal Blue' shade also, and the Illamasqua dupe is called 'Paddle'. I can't believe how close it is really!

For the lippies, I got two of the plumping 'Out There' glosses, which were £2.00 each. I got them in 'Shocking Pink' and 'Buff'. They do sting a tad! But no pain, no gain!

So I hope you liked my little haul, please go out and try the MUA products yourselves if you haven't already, I think you would be pleasantly surprised! 

If you are still with me, here is an adorably cute picture of our bunny, Peanut. She is the most spoilt bunny in the world, and I wouldn't have it any other way! 

Ciao for now XxX

April Glossybox ♥

Hi lovelies! I wasn't originally planning on doing a Glossybox review, as it is pretty cliché, however despite some negative thoughts I have read, I was very pleased with mine so I thought I would share with you what I received. Also, it is definitely time for a beauty related post! I haven't done one in a while, and to make it extra special, there is only one Iphone picture in it, meaning good quality Canon piccies! Hurrah!

So this is what my Glossybox looked like. As I am sure you know by now it was an environmentally friendly themed box, in celebration of Earth month. I think it is a great idea, as even the box is biodegradable. It is a pretty box actually, a nude colour with natural fibres on it, with brown ribbons inside. Made me feel like a bit of a tree hugger! When I opened it, this is what I was graced with, and I was extremely pleased. 

First off, I got a sample of the Kai perfume. I was pleased to see I got perfume because I did have a sneaky peak at what other people got and there weren't many with it in. However, this is unfortunately my least favourite item (you can't have it all can you?) as the scent just isn't me. I liked the concept, which was that it smells different on every persons skin, but for me it was far too heavy on mine. It is very weighed down with an extremely strong rose fragrance, which I actually couldn't get rid of up my nose for a good few hours - which I suppose means it has good staying power - but it did start to make me feel queasy. I prefer sweet or fresh scents, so this just wasn't for me.

On a lighter note, I was really excited to see this Figs and Rouge natural lip balm in 'Rambling Rose'. Although I am not a massive fan of the rose scent, it is subtle enough to like and the texture is so different for a lip balm. I love collecting new lip balms, and trying new ones so I got this straight out of the packet. It has a really silky smooth texture, it almost feels powdery in an odd way, but it is so nice on the lips. No stickyness to it, and it does make my lips feel nice and hydrated. This is definitely something I would re-purchase, although finding it may be an issue!

Another product I was excited about was the Caudelie skin quenching S.O.S serum. I had also seen this in other blogger's boxes and really wanted it. I never used to be into skincare that much, but I am liking it more now. I know Caudelie is raved about across blogs and Youtube, so I tried this on the night I received it. It is to be put under moisturiser morning and night for lovely quenched skin. I have oily to combo skin anyway so I wouldn't need to buy this, but it really did make my skin feel lovely, fresh and healthy actually. It is a nice product, but I do want to try the beauty elixir mist very soon too!

The next product was an organic eyeliner from Inka. A full sized product (wehey!), which is a purple eyeliner. I really love this, it is a lovely dark purple colour that does seem to stick around on my eyes. It retails on it's own for £11.95 I believe so it was nice to get a full version of it in this box. Definitely something that has made it into my make up bag, and I give it a thumbs up!

Last but by no means least, I had an Ayuuri Coconut body wash. Oh my life I LOVE this product. The smell is just to die for and I could actually just sit and sniff it all day...and probably end up rocking backwards and forwards like a nutcase. Anyway, another full sized product, and I have been using it everyday in the shower since. The scent does stick around for a few hours after, which by the way is coconut, wild jasmine and aloe vera. I would definitely, a million percent re-purchase this if I can find it. I love it so much! 

So there we have it, one lovely Glossybox in my opinion! What did you think of it? Did you get anything different to mine?

Ciao for now xXx

Mini Make Up Haul ♥

Bonjour mes amis! Over the weekend I had the pleasure of meeting up with my very lovely friend Sarah, and we had a little mooch around Birmingham. I was going in with pretty much empty pockets, but of course I just can't come out with nothing; why break the habit of a lifetime?

I got the train into Birmingham for the first time in ages! I usually hate hate hate public transport, but this time around I felt that it was actually much easier than battling through the Sunday traffic, losing my car in Selfridges as I do every single time, and it gives me a good walk either side of the journey. Win win situation.

SO, onto the bedlam of the every burning hole in my pocket!

This is what my hand looked like after we decided to venture into Selfridges at the end of our trip. I told myself not to go in there and risk buying anything, but I can't actually do it. Anyone else suffer with the same issue?

Ok, so first I headed into Boots, and after recently trying out Models Own nail polish in Tropical Sun, I was very impressed! So of course I went back, and they are currently on offer at Boots 2 for £8.00. I had seen on a few beauty bloggers/vloggers channels that Indian Ocean is one that is majorly sought after, and I can see why! Oh my life it is absolutely stunning! I found it and there were only about 2 bottles left on the shelf, so I snapped me one right up!!! It is a beautiful iridescent pale blue with an added pink tone running through it. It dries super quick in seconds, and here's what it looks like with two coats, and what I currently have on! 

(Used with Boots falsies)

I also got the Models Own nail polish in Aqua Violet, which is part of the Beetlejuice collection. I always go for colours like this because my favourite colour in the whole world is Turquoise, and my hair is this colour so it's great to match! Aqua violet is quite a deep teal colour, and is a duotone with purple running through it.  I haven't tried it out yet, but I can't wait to! Also as you can see there, is another duotone iridescent colour from Barry M called Silvery Purple. In the light you can see purples, greens, blues and silver flecks in the bottle. I have only done a little test coat on my natural nails and it is quite sheer, but I think after two coats it would be perfecto. It's another gorgeous colour from Barry M and for £2.99 it's another bargainous buy. 

I also got the magnetic varnish in the black shade from Barry M, but I need to have a proper fiddle about with it first!

I finally got my first Illamasqua product! And my gosh I am excited about it! Sarah and I spent a good old while rummaging through their collection, with plenty of 'Ooo's' and 'Aaah's'. I actually couldn't come out of there empty handed, I think it is my new lust brand. I always love bright and wacky make up and they fit my every need! I think I am going to find myself going there every week getting a new product. This is a pure pigment, which is priced at £15.50 which I don't think is too bad as I think this will be a product that lasts a hell of a long time. This shade is called Static, and is a glittery iridescent (can you feel a theme here?) pinky purple. It is amazing and looks just like fairy dust! It can be used on the eyes, cheeks or mixed with an existing product. I can't wait to have a go with it!

Then we headed into Primark because we had heard they were doing nail art pens, but unfortunately ours had ran out! However they are doing a few beauty products so I picked up one of their lipsticks. They aren't named or numbered but it is the spotty one in the picture below, and is priced at £1.00. It is a light muted pink, and actually isn't the best product in the world and smells a bit like playdough. It's quite drying, but over lip balm it's actually a nice colour on the lips. For a pound I guess I can't grumble, but I doubt I would re-purchase.

Next was MUA at Superdrug which you know I love, and for a pound each these lipsticks are no comparison to the Primark one. They are just great! So moisturising and glossy with such a great range of shades! The colours don't pick up too well on my Iphone camera but it gives you an idea. The second from the left is 'Shade 12' and is a shimmery pink (not coral like it looks here), the next is 'Shade 5' and is a shimmery very light pink (gorgeous for everyday wear!) and the last is a deep pink with bluey undertones, and is 'Shade 3'. All gorgeous and I don't ever have a bad word to say about MUA really!

Swatched from top to bottom: Shade 3, Shade 12, Shade 5 and the Primark muted pink.

So here we are in Birmingham Bullring after we got attacked by Illamasqua! It was a lovely day and nice to see Sarah and I look forward to catching up again soon!

Have you bought anything new recently? Anything I should try? I would love to know!

Ciao for now XxX

Vivo and MUA ♥

Hola Chiquitas! I have recently purchased a couple of items from the much loved brands Vivo and MUA, and thought I would share my thoughts with you! First up is Vivo, I first heard about this brand just over a month or so ago, and it is readily available in larger TESCO stores. It is extremely reasonably priced, and I now have quite a few items. To find my last blog post on Vivo click here. 

So now I have decided to jump on the BB Cream bandwagon, and give it a go. I usually wear a medium coverage foundation, but since I have been on holiday I have had a major freckle outburst, and I am peeling like mad so I haven't worn much foundation. I have been concealing the blemishes and then just going ahead with bronzer etc. So on the days now where I feel I need a little more, but I don't want to do my full on foundation routine, BB cream I feel is the way to go. I got it in the shade light, because although I have a freckly almost-tan, it fades pretty darn quick so I will be a few shades lighter. 

It has quite a thick consistency, and I used the real techniques buffing brush to buff it into my skin. I really could see the difference on the side of my face that I had covered. My skin does get red and blotchy when I have no make up on and the Beauty Balm really did seem to even it out, with still having all my freckles showing through. It was quick and easy to apply, and can also be applied with fingers like a cream, so it's handy to take around with you too. It lasted about 4 hours before it looked like I needed to re-apply, but I do rest my head on my hands for most of the day and touch my face a lot, so that is mostly my own doing. I would definitely recommend this to BB cream beginners, because for £4.00 it's a steal, and I was impressed! 

Secondly is the Shimmer and Shine Lip Gloss in frosted pink. OoO I love this product! I am looking forward to going back to Tesco to get all of them! It is a bargainous £1.50, and I just love it. The colour is a really lovely light pink with a shimmer to it, and reflects light perfectly, leaving your lips all shimmery and shiny. It lasted on my lips for a good couple of hours before re-applying and it isn't too sticky. It has the most AMAZING smell to it like watermelons nom nom nom! It also has a long doe-foot like applicator, so there's no missin' any part of that pout. It is now a staple in my make up bag for work, as it is shimmery, sheer and not too much!

Shimmer and shine lip gloss in Frosted Pink on my lips. Shine-tastic!

The Beauty Balm in shade light. The first swatch is as it comes out of the bottle, and the second is where I have blended it in, but not fully, so you can see it starts to merge into your skin.

Next is MUA. I am sure everybody will of heard of this brand but if you have been living under a rock and somehow haven't, here is the low down! It is a budget make up brand that lives in Superdrug, where all the basic products begin at £1.00. It is fantastic actually, and the majority of products I would re purchase over and over, because they are actually great quality. I decided to try their blushers most recently, so I got them in shade 1 - a baby pink with a light shimmer, and shade 4 - a peachy matte shade. I have tried out both on separate occasions and I don't have a bad word to say. This is a very positive review post day guys!

For one British pound, you get yourself a nice 2.4g of product, in nifty little packaging for your make up bag.  

They are both super pigmented, gorgeous colours which are buildable, so from a light dusting to a heavy colour block, it's up to you how you wear it. Here they both are swatched on my hand. I can't wait to go and get the rest of the collection! My opinions are 100% my own, and I can't give enough love for all the products mentioned in this post, especially because of the price!

I hope this was helpful for those of you that haven't had the pleasure of trying VIVO or MUA yet. If you have a spare couple of quid knocking around, I would go and treat yourself to a few products from these brands because you can really stack up your collection with great quality products! Enjoy, beauty heads!

Ciao for now XxX