REVIEW: MAC Powder Blush in "Dollymix"

Hey everyone! Today I'm bringing you a review on a MAC Blusher. 

I've never tried any MAC blushes before but I always hear a lot about them. I was in the MAC store in Selfridges a few weeks ago and spotted this particular shade and really liked it so I picked it up! This is MAC's standard original powder blush and I the one I chose was in the shade 'Dollymix'.

Packaging:

The packaging of this product is just the classic MAC packaging design you see in their regular products. It's a nice and sleek matte black design which I think is simple yet sophisticated looking. It doesn't look cheap and the product feels solid and sturdy which I think is always something to expect with a more expensive item.

Colour and Application:

This blush is described as being part of MAC's 'Sheertone Shimmer' collection. Whilst it does contain shimmer, it is very fine and just gives a nice glow to your cheeks. I however, would not describe this blush as sheer at all and I instead think it's actually very pigmented. Dollymix is a beautiful deep pink shade and I think it will really compliment an abundance of different makeup looks. Being so pigmented, you really only need a light hand and can easily build up the colour if you so wish. It's soft and easy to blend on the skin leaving you with a lovely, pink flush of colour. I like to apply this brush with my Sigma F15 Duo Fibre blush brush as I think it picks up just the right amount of colour and blends it evenly!

Wear and Price:

This blush wears really well and I find it to last all day. It's easy to apply as I've said and to me, looks really natural and flattering on my skin tone as I'm sure it would on others too! In the UK, this blush retails for £18.00 on the MAC website. Whilst this is of course quite a lot of money for just a blush, I think due to it's high pigmentation and the fact that you only need a lot of product to get a nice coverage, you can definitely justify it! Also, for me, this is a colour I know I'll get a lot of use of.

Overall, I'm really impressed with the quality of this blush - particularly in it's pigmentation. It's creamy and easy to blend into the skin whilst still staying all day and looking natural. If you're thinking of trying a MAC blush or are looking for a new shade, I'd definitely recommend Dollymix.

The Netflix Tag.

Hey guys! I'm doing something a little bit different today on the blog by doing what I think may be my first ever TAG post! How exciting! Anyway, this is called the Netflix Tag - I first found it on the blog wanderlustdaydreaming.blogspot.com and I thought it seemed pretty appropriate for a TV show and movie junkie like me.

What are your favourite series' to watch on Netflix?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (classic!!), Orange is the New Black and American Horror Story have been my favourites so far! 

What are you currently watching on Netflix?

Currently, I've started watching Breaking Bad - I've heard SO much about it and have been wanting to give it a watch for a while so that's what I'm doing. So far, loving it!

If you could have any series, old or new put on Netflix, what would it be?

Probably Game of Thrones and the Walking Dead as they are one of my favourite series' of all time!

What is your only peeve about Netflix?

It would have to be licensing to be honest, the American Netflix has a lot more variation that we just don't have on the UK version!

What are your essentials for a perfect night in with Netflix?

A cup of tea is always a necessity for me!

Recommend one series or film for someone else.

For me, it would have to be Buffy. It's just a classic and I absolutely love it. There's action, vampires, magic and demons - what's not too love? It takes me back to my childhood and will forever be one of my favourites.

Name a series on Netflix you keep meaning to watch but haven't yet.

Sons of Anarchy and House of Cards are some series' i'm thinking of starting soon but haven't gotten round to yet!

Did you discover anything awesome because of Netflix?

Orange is The New Black - I'd heard loads about it and didn't expect to like it but actually, I really did and I'm excited for more! 

I tag everyone to do this tag! Let me know what shows you're loving!

Nail Polish Haul!

Hey! I've been in a bit of a nail polish trance as of late and have been buying it way more than usual. In todays post, I thought I'd share some of the most recent nail polish purchases that I've made. I made a majority of these from Fragrance Direct once again and I have to say, their deals on higher end nail brands are awesome!

Talking of Fragrance Direct, these are actually the polishes that I got from there! Essie usually retails for around £7.99 onwards in the UK so when I saw these being sold for £2.50 I simply had to get a few! I don't think I could bring myself to spend 8 pound on a nail polish of all things but Essie is a brand I'm really starting to like so I'm glad there are places like this that do such good deals.

From Left to Right:

Essie - 'Warm and Toasty Turtleneck'

Essie - 'Style Cartel'

Essie - On A Silver Platter

All of these were £2.49!

Next off, I spotted this particular nail polish whilst browsing in John Lewis. I've never heard of this brand before but from the price range, could tell it was probably higher end. Whilst I won't usually splurge on nail polish, I saw this shade and thought it was really unique. It has cool duo-chrome, metallic effect mixing greens, blues and purple tones which I think looks really nice!

Jessica Custom Nail Colour  in 'Standing Ovation' - £10.50

I like O.P.I nail posies but I just think they're way overpriced. On the odd occasion that I find them on  sale, I will make that splurge but usually, it's a no no. However, I spotted both this top and base coat duo on sale in John Lewis for £11.95 - the price of one. As it was such a good deal for two O.P.I full sized products, I went for it. I always use a top coat and base coat so I know these will definitely be used and be worth their money!

While I can't seem to find this duo on their site, here are the products individually. Pop into your local John Lewis and have a peek to see if they sell the duo though!

O.P.I Top Coat - £10.76

O.P.I Natural Nail Base Coat - £10.76

So, that was my little nail polish haul - hopefully you too can grab some of the cool deals I found on some them. Let me know what you think of the colours I picked! Thanks for reading.

A Small Beauty Haul.

Hey everyone! I recently did a little bit of shopping on Fragrance Direct as well as picking up a lipstick from Boots. Fragrance Direct are awesome for highly discounted beauty products - I'm definitely going to try and shop on there more often and you should too! I also picked up the Kate Red Lipstick from Rimmel in the limited edition Red Nose Day packaging - this is really beautiful, classic true red and I've been wanting it for a while now! 

Products:

Revlon ColorStay 16 Hour Quads in 'Precocious' and 'Brazen' - £2.50 (RRP £7.99)

Rimmel Bronzer in Sun Light - £2.99 (RRP £5.99)

Rimmel Kate Lipstick in Red Nose Red - £5.49

Thanks for reading this post!

REVIEW: Moroccanoil Treatment Light!

Hi guys! Today I'll be reviewing the Moroccanoil Treatment - which is basically an oil for your hair. 

I've been using said product for around a month or so now so I feel prepared to tell you my thoughts and feelings about it! Enjoy.

About the Product:

This treatment is described as being a versatile and nourishing product that is residue-free. It can be used for conditioning, stylish and as a finishing tool on the hair. It is supposed to also be great with use with other hair products as well as helping to speed up drying time on wet hair. The product itself is meant to help repair hair by restoring it's lost proteins; it's fatty acids, omega 3, vitamins and it's antioxidants which helps to restore it's strength and shine. 

Sounds pretty good, right?

How to Use:

As recommended by the Moroccanoil site, this product can be applied to clean, towel dried hair. You are meant to massage the product from the mid length all the way down to the ends - you can then blow dry your hair or simply let it dry naturally. This product can also be applied to dry hair as a way of finishing off your look and taming any frizz or fly aways!

Packaging:

As with all Moroccanoil packaging, this bottle is sleek and simple in it's design. It again has the recognisable white and teal colouring on it's label and the bottle itself is made from glass which for me, makes it feel like more a higher end product (which I guess it technically is). In the bottle, you get 25ml of product which I believe is the smallest size they do. You can also get 100ml and 125ml bottles.

My Thoughts:

So, on first use of this product the first thing I noticed about it was it's smell. It has a really lovely, salon-product smell - which is the best way I can describe it. I can't really compare to any kind of scent or smell that is recognisable, but I can say that it's really very pleasant and not overpowering. The scent remains in your hair all day and I really like it.

What I have also noticed after weeks of using this product is that it lasts for ages! I've used it consistently for this period time after every hair was (around 3 times a week) and it still looks as if it's a full bottle. So, a little bit really does go a long way with this. 

When applying the product to my hair, the formula does indeed feel lightweight. This particular version of the treatment is intended for fine hair and I can confirm that it doesn't way it down nor leave it feeling greasy. There's no nasty residue and it glides through my hair with ease.

Almost instantly, my hair feels softer - I focus this particularly on my ends and I can safely say I see and feel a difference. My hair feels lovely and soft, it's much more manageable and easier to brush though and it gives my hair this beautiful, luxurious shine! It feels highly moisturising and hydrating and really helps to prevent frizz, too!

Overall, I'm really impressed with this product. I feel like the results are obvious - the softness of my hair and the shine being the main benefits that I have seen. More so that most leave in treatments, I really feel like this is conditioning my hair and making it more manageable. It smells wonderful too and all throughout the day my hair smells and feels lovely. I'd definitely re-purchase this product again when it actually gets used because right now, it seems to be lasting forever! For 25ml, this product costs around £13.45 and in my opinion, it's worth every penny. This is a versatile, multi-purpose product that does what it says and I think considering it's lasting power, it's actually a good deal. You can purchase this particular item from LookFantastic for the price above!

Have you tried any products from this brand? What are your thoughts?!

Thanks for reading.

Nails of the Day #3

Hey! As you can tell from the title of this post, I have for you another nail post today. 

I recently picked up some Essie nail polish and I'm wearing one of them currently on my nails. The shade is called 'Warm and Toasty Turtleneck' and it's a really nice muted purple type colour. The Essie nail polishes were £2.99 each which is an incredible saving considering their standard retail price of around £7.99 onwards - I got such a great deal from FragranceDirect and I'll definitely be going there for my polishes again!

Outfit of the Day: Polka Dots!

Hey guys, I have an outfit post for you all today - I hope you enjoy!

What I'm Wearing:

ASOS Fur Collar Coat - £80.00

Karma Clothing Polka Dot Dress - (Unavailable)

ASOS Fitted White Shirt - £25.00

Newlook Chelsea Boots - £24.99

Nails of the Day #2!

Hey guys! I'm back today bring you a nail post. I recently purchased a new nail polish from a brand called Jessica. I've never tried this brand before but was instantly attracted to this nail colour from them as I thought it was quite unique and a little different!

The shade is called Standing Ovation and I really like it! It was opaque in just two coats which is always nice from a higher end priced nail polish! I grabbed this particular polish from John Lewis.

First Impressions: Benefit Roller Lash Mascara!

Benefit Roller Lash mascara is the brands newest up and coming mascara - due to be realised later this month. When purchasing Cosmopolitan one day, I saw they were offering a little sample of this product as the freebie for that particular issue. Always a fan of something free and makeup related, I got the magazine and gave the mascara a go.

Benefit describe this mascara as a product that will easily and instantly curl the lashes - lasting for 12 hours. According to their site, an impressive 97% of uses said the mascara visibly lifts the lashes as well as 94% saying eyes looked more wide open. Benefit also states that this mascara contains lash conditioning ingredients such as Provitamin B5 and Serin. 

So, on to my first impressions... 

The very first thing I noticed about this mascara is the wand. It's one of those rubber wands with thin, spiky bristles. The wand itself is also very flexible when manoeuvring it through the lashes. All these things I usually find really effective in mascara and this type of wand is one I will actually tend to look for.

The formula of the product is fairly thin and liquidy - similar to the formula of Benefit's They're Real! mascara but definitely not as watery. If you've read my Benefit They're Real! review, you'll know that I didn't really get along with it because I found the formula made my lashes far too clumpy on my lashes. One of the reasons for this was that the wand itself picked up far too much product producing the clumpy after effects. The wand for Roller Lash however, seems to pick up just enough to avoid this.

Upon application, I found the process to be easy and precise due to the shape and bend in the wand. The bristles really helped to apply product to the lashes and also really effectively separated and elongated them. In one coat, I definitely saw a wider, elongated lash look and there was a definite curl in my lashes. My lashes though long, are very straight and find it difficult to hold curl - this mascara however, nicely held a curl in my lashes without making them look thick.

Overall, I think this makes for a really effective, natural lengthening mascara and would be perfect for everyday. I do however, think you can definite layer the mascara for a more intense and dramatic look as well as using it in conduction with a more volumising mascara, too. 

Considering the price of most Benefit products, I think I'll need to continue using this mascara a little more before I'd be able to definitely say whether I'd pay full price for it. Benefit products are higher end so for me, I need to know that I love a product before I'll be investing it. 

So far however, so good!

SAVE YOUR DRIED OUT GEL LINERS AND CREAM SHADOWS!

Hey guys! I know it's been a few days or so since I last posted - I've just started back at University again so the last few days have been dedicated to trying to get back into the swing of things! Anyway, this is going to be a relatively short post on a beauty tip that I tried not long ago.

So, I use quite a few products that are gel and cream based. Over time, these products can tend to dry out and that really affects our abilities to use and apply them properly. I don't know about you, but I really don't want to be spending money on getting a replacement of a product that I still have loads left of.

Well, not to worry! 

I recently discovered a brilliant and easy way to revive your dried out gel liners and cream shadows; your microwave! Yep, simply pop your pot into the microwave for around 30 or so seconds whilst checking in intervals of around 5-10 seconds. Once done, you should see that your products have melted down and it'll probably look a bit gloopy - simply mix it together again with something thin such as a clean tooth pick or a pin and tah-dah! You have your soft and creamy gel liner back again and ready to use to it's full potential. You're welcome.

NOW -

 (it's important that you first consider these steps and follow them to avoid any accidents):

• I have tried this technique on my Anatasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow AND Maybelline Eyestudio Gel Liners so far. I CAN'T therefore speak for any other products so, MAKE SURE you research the products prior to check for any ingredients that may have an adverse reaction when met with heat!

• This probably seems obvious but PLEASE, make sure you DO NOT leave the lid on your pot when putting it in the microwave and be sure NO element of it is made of METAL.

• Make sure your pot is made of GLASS only and not anything that may melt or burn.

• KEEP CHECKING the microwave to see how the process is working and as I said, do so in intervals. If you hear any strange noises or it seems like something odd is happening, stop!

Now all that is out of the way, I hope you try this method and have success with it! 

Please comment below and share what product you used this method with, too!

Thanks for reading.

What's in My University Bag?

Hey guys! So, as you can see from the title this is going to be a 'What's In My Bag?' University Edition. 

My going out / non-Uni bag isn't too different from this with a few exceptions, but I will at some point probably do a post on that as well. Anyway, enjoy!

River Island Bag - £25.00

So, this is the bag that I will be using for University for now. It's from River Island and I got it as a Christmas present, as I chose it however, I know it was purchased for £25.00! 

What I really like about this bag is it's simple, classic design. I really like plain, black bags just because they pretty much go with anything. It's also surprisingly big so I can fit everything I need to in it easily which is important for me. I love shoulder bags as I find them the most comfortable to wear and I like the additional chain detail on this one.

CASTELLI 2015 Diary, WHSmith - £9.95

The first two things I'll be keeping in my bag are my diary and pencil case. I was looking around for a good, quality 2015 diary which had all the dates laid out within it and I found this one whilst in WHSmith. It has everything I need with room for notes under each date as well a whole page to jot stuff down. It also has a calendar within it, as well as other useful information!

 Second is my pencil case which I also received as a Christmas present. This is a Cath Kidston pencil case and is only the start of many other CK things you'll be seeing in my bag...

Vera Wang Princess - £39.50
Cath Kidston Makeup Bag - £12.00

Next off, I have a perfume and my makeup bag. The perfume is Vera Wang's Princess and it's one of my all time favourites. I keep this in my bag because it's such a cute, petite size and so it fits perfectly. It's handy for days when I perhaps have forgotten to put any perfume on or when I need freshen up! I got this in a recent haul from Debenhams for just £20 as part of a gift set!

Yeah, so I wasn't kidding when I said you'll be seeing more Cath Kidston in my bag - I'm pretty obsessed with the brand. This is my makeup / essentials bag that I carry all sorts of things in. I'll probably do a post about just what exactly is in it so stay tuned for that!

Pukka Pad 200 Page - £8.29
Cath Kidston Notebook (Part of a set) - £10.00

Of course, at University you take a lot of notes so a notepad is a necessity. I recently bought this massive Pukka Pad from Tesco and I really like it particularly because it has dividers in it as well as slots for spare bits of paper. This means I can keep myself organised which is something I love to be!

And what do we have here? Oh.. another Cath Kidston product. This is just a cute little notebook I bring with me for any Uni related notes I need to make; whether it be on assignments or things to remember!

River Island Purse - Old!
Cath Kidston Lanyard - £3.00
Cath Kidston Key Fob - £4.50
Cath Kidston Bus Pass Holder - £6.00

In my bag I also carry this super old wallet that I got a while back from River Island. It's just a purple purse with hearts stitched in it as well as some studding. It's a great size for carrying what I need with room for change, too!

I also have my bus pass and keys - the bus pass case and lanyard are both (shockingly) Cath Kidston purchased from Selfridges! I also have a cute little key fob from her and probably my favourite ever key chain: a little Thor's hammer!

Beats Solo HD's - £170.00

Bus journeys are long and I need something to wake me up in the morning. That's where music comes in and of course with that, comes headphones. I'd been debating over Beats for a long time and finally last year, I got some! I absolutely love them but don't wear them enough for the price so I've decided to make sure I always bring them with me so I will!

iPod Nano 4th Generation
Forever21 Compact Mirror - £3.00
Lint Brush - £4.09

Now we're getting into the last few things I keep in my bag... I firstly of course have my iPod to go with my headphones this is just the 4th or 5th generation Nano. I have had this for years and I've kept in mint condition. For me, it was the perfect size and I will be using it for many more years to come until it gives up on me!

I also carry a mirror because you know, I can be a little vain and like to check my makeup and hair now and then! I also carry a little lint roller just because I have animals and animals mean fur on my clothes!

Gloves - £7.00

And that brings us to the final item in my bag which are these cute, knitted gloves from Forever21. It's cold in the UK - need I say more?

That's everything in my bag - thanks for reading!