My five things

So i've been busy doing other things but i've still thought about the blog and where i want to take it so here is a new feature i want to introduce 'my five things' i know some blogs have a favourites of the month but i see this as more of a weekly post of 'the most reached for' items of the week but i will also sum up at the end of the month the hero's and villians of the month.

So here goes the first of my five things!

So it may be a shock to some but i don't usually wear alot of makeup to work usually just mascara, blush and i little bit of gloss or lipstick. But recently i've been using Makeup Academys Pressed powder (£1,Superdrug) in shade 1. I've used it so much i actually hit pan this morning! I like this because the base colour is a pink tone which matches my skin well and most powders have a yellow base and it makes me look like i belong to the simpsons family, which is not the look i'm into. I also use this to set foundation or over tinted moisturizer after it's soaked in, just to take the shine off. Also for a quid you can't go wrong i always have this compact in my bag just incase i get shiney in the day time.

The second most reached for this week (and for the past few weeks now) is a mechanical eyelash curler from primark which was also £1 but it's really great and it also comes with extra rubber thingies ( i'm sure thats the real name for them) so it will last forever if looked after right. I find this so easy to use, curls my lashes amazingly and it's such a bargain.

Then i've also been using the BeautyUK Palette number 4 which is a neautral colour palette very natural browns, creams and metallics i've been using the cream as a base on the lid then adding a wash of the bronze over the top then using the deep brown in the crease line and the last outer quarter of the lid then blend it towards the inner lid. I am loving a more natural look right now and could use my Urban decay naked pallet but then why use something expensive when i'm only going to work? :)



Taken from superdrug.com



Ive also loved using the new Garnier BB Cream in light as it makes my skin look and feel so amazing, and it smells great too. It's like a tinted moisturiser but it's not as yellow as Benefit's. I'm so in love with this product right now!


Taken from superdrug.com

 and last but not least i have been using Volume Million Lashes i really love how this mascara makes my lashes look amazing! All separated and coated lashes give the appearance of volume!

So i hope you have enjoyed this quick post i won't leave such a huge gap in between posts next time!

Have a great sunday evening!

Love Jo x x x

MUA revisited...

I'm really sorry i haven' been on here for awhile but i've been busy booking and planning my wedding for next year!!! anyway here is a more detailed review of the MUA products i have.

Beware this is long :)

I know i’ve already posted a review/haul of the MUA products i bought but i wasn’t happy with it, not the products, the review :D. As you may know, if your new to youtube(like me) you’re only allowed a video less than 10 minutes which goes really quickly when you have so much to say about so many products so i thought MUA deserved a more indepth review. So here i go...

In my hunt for makeup deals and beauty steals I have come across hundreds of brands some expensive, some cheap but the quality varied as much as the prices and my ‘mission statement’ didn’t say I wanted to show you really great makeup that you needed to take out a loan for, or cheap make up that wouldn’t look right because it was ‘cheap and nasty’. Well I’ve already shown you my various ELF hauls and the great quality products they sell but can we do one better? I was ready to believe not until Make Up Academy (MUA as they are known) kept popping up on other peoples blogs so i headed over to their Facebook page and asked the MUA fans what they recommended. I got a few replies and it seemed everyone liked different things so i went to my local Superdrug and picked up a selection of products.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Makeup Academy they are a relatively new cosmetics company currently sold in Superdrug the difference between this company and others is the price, everything in the MUA collection is only £1!!!!!! No they aren’t on sale this is the original price! They also have a pro range which costs alittle more but only a little (£4.50 for a huge eyeshadow palette!) but i haven’t found any in the superdrug stores in sheffield yet, the search continues...

I was instantly drawn to the large range of eyeshadows which are all in round clear clamshell style packages so you can easily identify the colour of the shadow. The shadows come in pearl which are cute sparkle packed colours and matte which are pretty self explanitory. I have a thing for shadows so i picked several of the cute colours, they don’t have names which is a shame as this adds a fun element to product but a rose by any other name and all that. Instead they are known by weither they are pearl or matte and their shade number, so far i have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7,8,9,10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18 and 20 :)

Because of the high sparkle content i’d suggest patting the colour on with a finger and lightly blending with a brush at the end if required. This will ensure you keep as much product on your eyes and less under your eyes and on your cheeks! I have to admit after being stung before by cheap products i wasn’t expecting much but these eyeshadows are honestly amazing! I’ve applied them with and without any primer underneath and you wouldn’t believe the results! These are the looks i created with the MUA eyeshadows. (tutorials coming soon)

with Urban Decay primer potion.



Brush application.



No primer, applied with fingers- pretty neat eh?



Moving on to Mascara i chose the black and the aqua blue. The tubes are coloured to match the colour inside i love that when you take the wand from the barrel you can see tiny length building fibres in the product. These mascaras are clump free lash separating amazing for a quid! I adore the blue :)

Next up is the lipsticks I picked up 3 of the shades , , , . I usually use Urban decay and Too Face lipsticks but these are just as good, they have a wide range of colours so there will be something to suit everyone. The lipstick is easy to apply, it’s highly pigmented and feels nice on the lips it’s not drying but it’s not greasy or waxy either like cheap lipstick usually is. It lasted a few hours before a touch up was required. I also like how the end of the tube has a colour window so you can see what the exact colour looks like which I think is useful if you have a few of them or a huge make up collection you can stand them upside down so these windows are visible making selection easier (if you have a few Barry M lipsticks you’ll know that finding the shade you want often involves opening them all)

Lipglosses are also available in juicy tube or tube and wand styles. i chose shade 2 & _ in the wand style and i really liked the shade _ it was really pigmented which great but i found that it feathered a little which i think most glosses do but it's more noticeable as the pigment is more dense in this gloss, i found that this can be solved by lining the lips with something like the Toofaced borderline pencil.

The shade _ gloss was a little disappointing as i assumed it would be as pigmented as shade _ but it's more translucent with a slight rosey tint which is fine but not what i expected. I also tried shade_ in the juicy tube gloss which is a gorgeous natural golden colour and i love it on its own or ontop of a lipstick but i think it would look great on it's own for summer look. Both kinds of glosses are not greasy and non sticky.



Smells/tastes yummy too!



My favourite product from the range has to be the facepowder mainly because it's usually so damn expensive and this one is only £1. It's great for if a light coverage is what your after this is the product for you. I wear this everyday and it doesn't dry my skin or clog my pores. The shades are limited but maybe in time this will change. i use Shade one (i love it so much i've bought a back up already even though i won't need it for awhile) i've also picked up shade 2 for the summer when my skin gets a little more colour.

The compact doesn't come with a brush or a sponge but because the product is so good  its not really an issue.

And last but by no means least the blushes! I've managed to finally get my mitts on shade 1, 2 and 3 it took me along time because this brand is popular it sells out fast (i think that happens when you sell good products for a quid)  all three are lovely and natural and you can be subtle or bold with them as you can build the colour up easily. i've notived that the blushes know have 'MUA' embossed into the powder now which is a cute extra touch.

The Makeup Academy also sell bronzers, eye dusts, eyeliners, glitterliners, liquid liner and nail varnishes aswell as a Brand new Pro range however due stocking issues and popularity i haven't been able to find any in the Superdrug stores in my area.

One more thing i really admire about these cosmetics is the effort that has gone into product hygiene. every eyeshadow has a cellotape seal and every lipstick, mascara, blusher, lipgloss and face powder are shrink wrapped in plastic so you know if someone has tampered with the product before you buy it. It doesn't sound like such a big deal but i personally like the reassurance i get from knowing i won't get a coldsore or an eye infection from someone who has opened and used the producted before i've bought it.

So if you've stuck with me this far thank you for reading and i hope you give MUA a go. I've really enjoyed trying the products and making looks for under £5. Think face powder, mascara, 2 eyeshadows and a gloss. Go for it :D

If you've enjoyed this haul/review please share me with your friends.

Love Jo x x

Something new

Hey guys, I thought i'd try something new i'm not sure i'm really youtube material but i fancied a change and i might use youtube in the future just for tutorials.

Love Jo x x x

Everyone loves Magazine freebies like this!

Hey guys!
Just a quick heads up about this months Glamour magazine (if you've not already seen it) it's only £2 and it comes with either a posietint, Benetint or Highbeam all of which are a in a 4ml bottle with brush applicator in the lid. I took it upon myself to collect all three (what kind of a make up addict would i be if i didn't?) This maybe due to the fact that Benefit have a new tint due out soon called 'Chachatint' which is a mango tint.



Posietint, Benetint and Highbeam.

 Love Jo x x x

The Mascara Cronicles Part 1.

Mascara.

On the lash.

To me this is an essential product, my one desert island item. If you do your face and forget to apply a few layers of mascara you won’t look right just like if you don’t put any make up on and just paint a little mascara on you will open your eyes up and look awesome.

Although i use this on a daily basis I never realised how many i had and how many were on the market! There seems to be a new mascara add every couple of weeks on the TV and yeah they look amazing but anything would if you digitally enhance it to make it look better than it is or if your model is wearing false lashes in the ‘after’ picture when in the ‘before’ they were not wearing anything!  So I have decided to review the ones I currently possess and I’ll be showing you the results they give without photo shopping and without false lashes!

My naked eye.

Bourjois Liner effect mascara- Bleu 

Special feature- The idea behind this mascara is that the brush has a long bristled side for applying the product to the whole of the lashes and and a short bristled side for applying the product closer to the base of the lashes. This is supposed to give the effect of wearing eyeliner. Although the long bristles are great for separating and coating lashes I’m not sold on the ‘liner effect’ and would still apply some liner.

Packaging- Navy blue barrel tube with silver graphics and font and silver 3D ridge on the edge of the barrel(i find this helps it stay on my desk and not roll off!) . It’s simple and un-cluttered.

Product- I wanted to love this as the first blue mascara i've ever bought but as you can see in the picture it looks black not blue and looks a little clumpy so not the best mascara ever.

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Maybelline Lash stiletto- Black

Special feature- Ultimate Length Mascara.

Packaging- Black square tube with a metallic red band around the bottom, Silver font.

Product- The brush has lots of bristles (always a good sign) and they jut out every which way without any kind of pattern. I like this brush it tapers off so it’s not too big to apply to the inner lashes or the bottom lashes.

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Maybelline XXL pro extension micro-fibre mascara- black



Step 1





Step 2



Special feature- A double barrel mascara with a white lash extention formula on one end and a black mascara in the other end. So you can build your lashes up and then once dry you can color them with the mascara.

Packaging- Black double barrelled with gold and white font. Barrels are labelled ‘1’ which is a white micro fibre mascara that comes with a big wide spaced spiral brush and ‘2’ which is the black mascara with a smalled tighter spaced spiral brush.

Product- You can build longer lashes but it’s a pain to try and paint the base of the lashes so they sometimes end up looking white. Also takes longer to achieve results.

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Maybelline Lash Stylist Mascara

Special feature- Volume lifting comb mascara.

Packaging- Matte black barrel with silver font. Instead of the traditional barrel brush this mascara has a duel comb that allows you to have more control over separating your lashes and giving them a good comb through.

Product- i really like this mascara it makes lashes look groomed and clump free

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Eyeko Big Eyes Mascara

Special feature- Long and luscious lashes in one easy squeeze. With vitamin B to promote lash growth.

Packaging- a toothpaste style tube which is silver, pink and black font. The brush is a slim wide spaced double spiral brush. In my opinion it picks up too much product and the brushes wide bristles make separating lashes almost impossible without putting more effort in than should be required. Also there isn’t a brush wiper in the top of the tube or if there is, it’s not doing it’s job right.

Product- The mascara itself is really wet and once applied it stays wet for along time( i sneezed 3 mins after applying it to my lashes and ended up with panda eyes- not the look i was after lol) The brush holds too much product so the first brush through your lashes applies way too much mascara and you have to keep brushing them over and over to get them to look less clumpy. I really wanted to love this product but it doesn't separate the lashes which is what i always look for in a mascara, However i do like how it gives you an almost doll-like lash. I love the idea of the squeezy tube so you can use all the product up and not waste any like with normal barrel marcaras but it the tube really needs a brush wiper or a better one.

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NYX 1000 miles long lashes Mascara

Special feature- Super long lashes

Packaging- smooth, shiny black tube that flares at the end with silver font.

Product- I love this mascara for everyday looks as it does lengthen your lashes but not overly long the volume looks great and it stays on all day. The brush is curved to help curl your lashes too.

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L’Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara



My new favourite :D



Special feature- new brush and anti clump wiper built into the lid

Packaging- smooth, shiny gold barrel with a black stripe that has ‘Volume million lashes’ written in gold. It tapers beautifully at both ends.

Product- This is the newest mascara in my collection, i wasn’t planning on buying another mascara but last week i saw a work colleague had the most amazing lashes and i asked her what she had used and this is what she recommended. I have to say I’ll be using this a lot because I love it!! It separates the lashes evenly, it adds volume and lengthens and it lasts all day! I think it’s due to the brush as it is huge and has loads of silicone bristles all evenly spaced.

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Too Faced Lash injection Mascara

Special feature- Extreme thickening, tube building mascara.

Packaging- Black tube with pink font and graphics.

Product-This is my favourite mascara i've used this brand for the past 3 years and it's never let me down one coat is good for a day time look but a few coats more makes a great night time mascara.

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I really hope you've enjoyed reading part one of the Mascara cronicles i shall go and write up the reviews of the next bunch of mascaras.

Love Jo x x x

To be continued...

MEGA bargain haul.....

Hey guys , Im sorry that this post is a little long but it has over four weeks of shopping so stick with me on this.

So i found myself wondering around the savers shop in Sheffield i was only in there for some shampoo but ended up browsing the make up shelves anyway :D and i found some W7 products which are mega cheap and they seem to be copies of Benefit blushers and W7's 'Africa' looks just like Toofaced pink leopard! i had to try these! and at £1.99 each it was a steal. Tj Hughes also stock loads of W7 products which is where i got the 'Double act' from that was £2.99.

Dupe for Benefits Hoola!

Not as pigmented as Pink leopard but gives a nice highlight to brow bones and cheek bones.

Dupe for Benefit's '10'

 I also picked up W7's 'crackle' in 'Earthquake black' i'm not really one for nail varnishes but these crackle effect varnishes seem to be the 'in thing' at the moment so i thought i'd give it a chance and again at £1.99 i thought that it was worth the try! (i actually went back and bought the white and silver version of this aswell)

Although this looks white on this pic it's actually the silver which is a little glitzy aswell.

 Also another amazing bargain i found in savers! Right by the till was a shelf full of Eylures Girls aloud festival lashes gift sets (you get the lashes, the glue and a coloured lanyard) for 99p! At the time they only had 'Cheryl' (black winged lashed with gold sparkle) and Sarah (black and red criss cross lashes) but i went back later and they had 'Nadine' (black lashes with multicoloured gems at the base) and 'Kimberley' (black winged lashes with little feather extentions). i have the whole set now. Please don't get me wrong i don't like Girls Aloud and i'm not even sure if i really do have the whole set of lashes as i don't know who is in the group or how many! lol But they are really cute lashes and i've already got some neat ideas for looks i could use them in!

So yesterday i went into the city centre after work and to see what i could find so headed to T J Hughes, mostly i think they sell a lot of rubbish, market brand tat but every now and then you stumble across a steal! In this case Urban decays Liquid eyeliner in gash and lucky for only £2.99 each. They have also had the Urban decay brow boxes in TJ’s too.

Also in Tj’s they had a huge range of W7 cosmetics and one in particular was a bronzer/highlighter which looks like a dupe of Benefits ‘10’.

You really just have to look around to find these steals my favorite places to hunt for bargain products are-

-TK Maxx

-Savers

-TJ Hughes

- Ethel Austin (yep i’ve found Bourjois and urban decay here)

-Your local market, you really never know what you’ll find but be on the look out for fakes and avoid them as they aren’t made to the high standard the originals are and you could be putting anything on your face.  At my local market i managed the pick up a bourjois nail varnish for 65p! and a collection2000 mascara for £2.00.

While browsing several make up sites and articles i kept seeing the brand Stila mentioned and especially their smudge pots. I tried to buy direct from their US site but like an awkward few brands they don’t deliver to the UK. After a quick google i found a place to buy stila from even if it was a little unexpected. It seems our online argos stock Stila aswell as other top brands such as Benefit. These have to be reserved online to be collected instore. To me this is a welcome addition to Argos and i just hope in time these products will be available in-store. I reserved the Stila smudge pot in cobalt and a a Benefit eyeshadow in blushing bride.

I also wanna tag on a couple of orders i received through the mail from Eyeko

I've have been hearing alot about these products so i thought i'd give them a go. I have to say i entered a ambassador code which as this was my first purchase i should have received a free gift but i didn't so i've sent an email to Eyeko to see what they can do. Anyway on with what i did get i chose the Big Eyes Mascara which is lengthening...

..Eyeko cream which is a cute light pink 3in1 cream(highlighter/moisturiser/eyecream) with a slight shimmer to brighten your skin.... 

and Eyeko tinted cream which does everything the original cream does but it's a bronzer rather than a highlighter.

Also last but not least i found a really cool cheap website http://www.halfpriceperfumes.co.uk/ that had the Bourjois liner effect mascara in blue for £1.00 and when you bought that and entered a code you got a free ombre stretch eyeshadow which is worth £6.49.

Then they also had Rimmel single eyeshaows for £1 each too :) i love these they are so cheap and the colors are really bright and highly pigmented.

Thanks for reading this huge haul post and i realise i haven't written about anything other than hauls but i've been writing something for the blog and it's just taking me a while due to other things going on in my life. Any way thanks for reading my blog :D

Love Jo x x x