Welcome back Stereo Rose?

The cult that is MAC's Mineralise Skinfinish in Stereo Rose is back....

But is it going to cause a stir for the right reasons? 

Stereo Rose made its first appearance in 2010, with a re release in 2012 and now in 2014 in the Fantasy of Flowers collection. It very quickly became a favourite among beauty lovers and bloggers alike. 

It became apparent very quickly that this years release is a much paler colour payoff with 'less bronze and coppery veining' than it's predecessors, with a lot of wondering even why it's been given the same name. 

As I haven't owned previous releases - slow off the old starting blocks again there. (Also I think I'd tried to steer clear of limited edition collections with fear of falling in love and not being able to re purchase) I can only review what this years version has to offer. 

In short - I really like it. With being as fair as I am, the paler shade is good for me. It's a lovely colour payoff as a blush and if I'm not so heavy handed as a highlighter. Described as a 'copper bronze' on me it gives a lovely rose gold hue with a slight peach sheen. (Anything rose gold in my books is a win) The peach though is where the problem lies as before it was a deeper pink-coral. It does have a very frosty finish so do be careful with it highlighting any flaws such as pores, which we all try so hard to hide!!

The formula isn't as consistent with other MSF's, it's still very soft but a little on the dry side and with only a few sweeps of the brush there was a lot of kick up, so you don't need to go too crazy.

I'm a little disappointed that it's not the same as it should be - but I like it enough to say I'll continue to use it. Although I feel a lot of you will decide it's just not worth the hype this time. 

If you feel it is, it's released in stores tomorrow 6th March and is £22 for 9g

Do you have the original Stereo Rose? What are your thoughts on the changes?

Carla 

xxx

Mac Pro Shaping powder in Emphasize

Hi lovelies!! 

You may have noticed from the last couple of posts that I've had a little revamp - all down to a gorgeous friend of mine who is a whizz with all this technical stuff and knows quite a bit about marketing. I would highly recommend her any day!! So over the next few weeks there will be small tweaks as we have a play and get things just right. I'm so grateful for her help!! Here is the link to her blog and details. 

How are we all? I'm back with another Mac post. This is a brand new product to me, and first Pro one too. If any of you are partial to a beauty YouTuber watch, you may already be aware of an absolute gem, Jaclyn Hill. I absolutely adore her video's and it's mainly down to her that my wish list is a little ridiculous!! (OK, I know what you're thinking - a lot ridiculous!!)

Without further ado, I introduce to you the Mac Pro Sculpting powder in Emphasize. It comes in the pan ready to go straight into the blush pro palette. 'A micro-fine shaping powder formulated with soft focus technology that accents and emphasizes the planes of the face. More subtle than many highlighters.' I have been using this to set my concealer under my eyes so it gives a really soft highlight without having to go crazy with a more pigmented highlighter. I have to be careful with this and really don't need a lot to set, otherwise I can start to look a little cakey in my fine lines - I no longer have youth on my side!!

On the other hand I have only tried this with my Mac Select Moisture Cover so it may just be that I need to play around with the powder and different concealers, but it's still a product that I like and will continue to use.

The Mac Pro Sculpting powders are available from Pro Stores and online and are £15.50 for 6g

What powders have you tried and what concealers do you recommend?

xxx

Illamasqua Cream Blush - revisited

Hello all!!

After falling in love with the cream blush in Rude, I went online whilst the sale was still live and grabbed myself Dixie. When I received the lovely little package at work i was dubious to begin with - they looked so similar I thought I was going to be disappointed. How wrong I was when I got home to swatch them side by side!!

I first swatched Dixie on the top of my arm, and straight away you can see that its darker and more coral than the warm pink Rude. Neither on them compromise on pigment and I really look forward to wearing them a lot more!! I didn't hesitate in going straight to it for good colour to compliment a smokey eye look at the weekend!!

I think you can really see the difference in the colour from my first post between the two, and I'm really pleased with both.

What last minute sale finds did you get and what new collections are you looking forward to trying? I have my eye on Illamasqua's Valentines Collection I'm The One

xxx

Mac Magnetic Nude Extra Dimension Skinfinish in Fairly Precious

Fairly Precious -left. Soft and Gentle - right

Hello lovelies!! 

I promise I will get better at posting and not bombard you on a Sunday!! I'm learning new things (like you can schedule a post, amazing!) and have bought a nifty little SD card cable for my iPad so that I can learn to write on the journey to/from work instead of trying to sleep and being scared of being snapped and posted on Sleepy Commuters!! 

This week I'm excited about this product - I'm a massive Skinfinish fan anyway and Soft & Gentle has been a constant in my make up bag for a few years. I missed the boat with the 2012 Glamour Daze collection of skin finishes - if anyone has Whisper of Gilt I'm sooo jealous!! 

With this collection, Superb makes a comeback whilst Magnetic Appeal and Fairly precious are new (and limited edition! Does anyone else always fall in love with limited editions or is it just me?!) 

Fairly Precious is described as a 'peach with dimensional pearly green' and I felt it was the best colour for me. The liquid-powder texture is just gorgeous and the embossed 3D design really makes them look special and appealing. It blends easily onto the skin and can be used to add just a little shimmer, where as on me it adds colour and highlight. It wears really well and I just love!! 

If you're quick, you may still be able to get them online, but visit your local Mac counter to have a look. 

These little gems are £22 for a 9g compact. 

What skinfinishes have you tried and what would you recommend? 

xxx

January Favourites

Hi again lovelies!!

Where has January gone?! The festive season is well and truly behind us for another year - but half of my favourites this month have been from Christmas gifts. I'm quite easily pleased when it comes to gift ideas for me. As long as it consists of make up and smellies you really can't go wrong. I do have my favourites and luckily hubby and family know me well enough to always include Mac and Soap & Glory!!

The first of my favourites is the Soap & Glory Thick and Fast mascara. Apart from the Sexy Mother Pucker (that like this mascara came in a gift set) I've not really delved into S&G cosmetics, but I will be looking in future. I love this mascara! I'm not really a fan of these plastic wands, the only exception would be for Benefits They're Real. The S&G wand has a good old fashioned thick bristled brush to really get a good coating of mascara on your lashes. I just really love it and will definitely be re purchasing!!

Another S&G product - Sugar Crush Body Wash. A really lovely fresh and sweet citrus wash that for some reason makes me think of Mexico. I think it's the limes and relations of limes and tequila in Margaritas!! Either way it's a lovely energising wash that I love and got 2 bottles of over Christmas so I'm good for a while!! 

Mac Fix+. Since my post the other week I had to include this as I've used it so much more since grabbing the travel size bottle. We have electric heaters on at work and this really helps with keeping my skin hydrated (as well as lots of water) during the day and keeping my make up in place

Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Furore. A little sale purchase and so glad I got it. It's a really lovely champagne colour that I use to highlight under my brow and on my cupid's bow before applying lipstick. I've used it everyday since I bought it. I'm trying more and more Illamasqua products and I really love this brand. They have a great social media presence and really take notice of their followers. 

Laura Mercier Crème Brûlée Soufflé Body Crème. A gorgeous rich Crème infused with vitamins A, C and E and Shea butter that gives all day moisture without being greasy. I use this for evenings and going out. I love the smell, it's good enough to to eat!! 

Lastly, Bioderma Sensibo H2O Micelle Solution. I know that this is now a long established beauty must, but its not the first time I've tried a micellar water solution - I've been using the L'oreal version for a good few months, then it dawned on me that seeing as I was in central London everyday I could probably find it in one of the many pharmacies near where I work in the Mayfair area, and I did!! I think I do prefer it to the L'oreal version, it doesn't seem to leave that residue that its dupes tend to have. Saying that, I have noticed that Garnier are offering their version now - has anyone tried that? What are your thoughts?

I hope you all have had a lovely January, what have been your favourites, and is there any of mine you've tried?

xxx

Brush Care and Pick Me Ups

Afternoon all!!

So with the coming together of this blog I feel I've made a commitment to you and should post even those little purchases. Well, that's how I see it, and not admitting I may have a teeny tiny problem!! 

I'd ran out of brush cleaner so popped in to re stock on that and noticed the travel size Fix+ - cute right?! 

Fix+ is Mac's universal saviour that has a multitude of uses. Spritz before make up application, after make up to set. During the day for a great pick me up and as a mixing medium for all those gorgeous pigments that are out there. A spritz of vitamin and minerals infused with green tea, chamomile and cucumber and refreshing scent what's not to love?! 

I grabbed the travel size as it's great just to chuck in the handbag and have on the go whilst my larger bottle (which lasts for ages) stays safely at home.  

Fix+ is £8 for 30ml and £14.50 for 100ml

With the New Year I promised myself I'd take better care of my brushes, with the plan to spot clean every day and deep clean every other week. So far I'm not doing bad - granted I'm not managing to spot clean every day. Especially on those mornings when you just can't get out of bed and then run those few minutes late!! I love Mac's brush cleanser to spot clean with as it's quick and easy and is designed to clean, disinfect and condition brush fibres so brushes will last longer. It leaves them smelling fresh and soft and has a short drying time which is great when you haven't got the time to do a deep clean and leave them for hours to dry. 

Brush Cleanser is £10 for 235ml. This and the Fix+ are available online at Mac and in stores. 

What brush routines do you all have and what do you use? 

xxx

Illamasqua Cream Blush in Rude

With Flash

Without Flash

Since last Sunday I have been thinking of what things to include in my new found blog - wondering whether Christmas purchases and gifts were still valid or if I should go out and add to my ever growing collection. (Believe me, this would have happened anyway!!)

So it only seemed like fate when I got the email from Illamasqua telling me that their amazing sale was still on. I hotfooted it down to their flagship store one afternoon after work and straight away found myself drawn to their cream blushers.

I have never tried a cream blush before - and for someone with dry skin this seems rather silly!! They are hailed for being great for those of us with dry skin to give a healthy, dewy glow.

I must admit that after looking at swatches online, I was hankering after Dixie, but after a quick look of the display it seemed apparent that they were out of stock - not surprising as they were at the bargain price of £7.50!! So I swatched Rude and Seduce on my hand and decided on Rude, it was a close second to Dixie being described as a 'warm peach pink'

Once I got home, I couldn't wait to try it out. The packaging is quirky, just like the brand, and unlike I've read for previous reviews, I had no trouble opening the case. I teamed the blush with a slightly smokey eye and nude lips. I knew with the pigment of the blush I wouldn't need to over compensate with harsh colours to show it off, and this way it's a very wearable day look.

This would still look great with a darker eye and buildable colour of the blush if you wanted a more striking evening make up. The blush itself is really lovely and creamy and goes on like dream. If you're scared of the colour, it's so easy to start off light and add as much colour intensity as you wish. I really love the dewiness it gives my skin and would definitely look at getting another one, especially with the great pigments that Illamasqua offer. I know that this will become a staple in my make up bag, especially as spring approaches. 

You can still find Rude on sale online here at Illamasqua's website, hurry while the sale continues!!

What cream blush have you tried? What are your favourites?

xxx