MAC LIPSTICK AND LIPGLASS REVIEW

Hello!

I got these 2 products for my birthday in November and have been wanting to review them for a while, but have never got round to it, so today I shall be reviewing both.

The two Mac products I will be reviewing is the 'Nice Buzz' lipglass, and 'Creme D'Nude' Cremesheen lipstick.

The two products look like this:

 Like I said, I got these 2 for my birthday back in November, however I've only just recently started using them this month, and I'm glad I did! Both products are incredibly good quality which is what I expected as they were from Mac, however I don't think the lipstick is as moisturizing as it claims to be. If I don't use a lip-balm before applying the lipstick my lips look very chapped, and creased, which is not the look I want. But, the lipglass is surprisingly not sticky at all! I thought it would be considering it's formulated like an ordinary lipgloss, however this one glides along the lips nicely without feeling like you've just applied glue to your lips.

 

 As you can see, both products are very nude, and subtle. This is not my usual lip colour at all, I prefer bright colours and have been wearing bright colours for a very long time, but as the weather is getting warmer I wanted something a bit more natural-these 2 are perfect for that. Creme D'Nude is a peachy nude that leaves a glossy sheen after applying-this is what differentiates a foundation-lip looking lipstick, to a cool, natural lip. The lipglass is a lighter, softer peach with gold reflexes that give a juicy look to the lipglass on your lips.

 The packaging is very plain like all Mac product packaging is-unless it's limited edition, and this makes the products look a lot more sophisticated and high-end rather than packaging like '17' which doesn't sell things in boxes, or a harder wearing plastic. There are quite a few drugstore brands that try to copy Mac with the simple style packaging, but it doesn't work or look right; Mac does the best with matte black packaging, and managing to pull it off without looking cheap or rubbish.

I love wearing these 2 products together as they create such a lovely nude colour which is perfect for daytime, and nighttime. The Creme D'Nude lipstick almost looks like Kylie Jenner's lip colour here:

However my lipstick has a more glossy finish, but the similarity is very close!

As these were both presents for my birthday I don't know the pricing, but I think they'd be sold at a reasonable price for such brilliant lip products.

A DAY OUT IN LONDON: AFTERNOON TEA AND JEAN PAUL GAULTIER VIEWING

Hello!

Yesterday I went out to London with my; Step-mother, Stepsister, Aunty, and friend Jennifer. We first met and did some brief shopping and nosing around, then went for a unique style afternoon tea, and after that we had tickets to go to a Jean Paul Gaultier fashion showing room! The day was so lovely, and a very memorable trip.

When we arrived in London we first went to Oxford Street and had a nose around a few shops. I wanted to check out AA because I love everything in there, and thankfully came out with 2 scrunchies for my hair which is what I wanted. They're both velvet, but one is black, and the other a pale lilac/pink. I love them soo much, but they did however cost £6 each!

After a mooch around we went out for our Afternoon Tea at a place called "BRGR" in London Soho. This afternoon tea wasn't your traditional tea & scones tea, it was almost like an American Diner style afternoon tea, however the food was served in small portions and all on one dinner tray:

 We got our food placed on a very 60's style tray with checkered grease paper which adds to the theme of American Diner, and it's the small touches like that which make a place so special. Anyway, for mains there was a small portion of fries, and a selection 3 burgers; one was Lobster, one was Chicken, and one Beef-these were all so lovely, but the Lobster was my favourite as it was the most refreshing. For dessert there was a mini brownie, doughnut (which we can't see), cheesecake with a raspberry coulis on top, and a vanilla milkshake. I loved all the desserts, but they were incredibly filling even though the meal was only small!

After lunch we then went on to the Jean Paul Gaultier show room, which was phenomenal. I was so thankful to have the opportunity to look at some of his pieces up close, and really take in all the detail and effort.

JPG is a French Haute Couture and Pret-A-Porter fashion designer, he not only does garments, but also fragrances which are famous for being in the shape of a body.

Walking into his showroom was amazing, the first thing we saw was this:

Which explained everything about the World of JPG, his background, and about what the exhibition will contain which was useful to know, however I didn't read it all, I mostly scanned it.

As you walk in there were multiple rooms showcasing his different collections, the first collection was this one:

I'm unsure as to what this collection was called, but it contained religious, Egyptian style designs? The dress at the front has a blue panel which contained a photo of what I think was a lady holding a baby/cherub, but I'm not 100% sure because I cannot remember everything as there was so much to take in!

We then carried on into the main, biggest room containing  all these collections (as well as a few more):

In this room there were collections such as a;
Denim style:

JPG modified everyday clothing into denim clothes, and made everything more extravagant and unique then they would be in shops.

Camouflage/Army style:

As you can see, the first dress was worn by Sarah Jessica Parker at the MTV awards, it was mind-blowing to think that I was that close to an original JPG dress worn by such an iconic person.

High-Tech/Punk range:

I found the High-Tech dress so interesting, and especially unique considering it was made from recyclable and old materials, yet he made the outfit still look wearable and designer!

We then carried on walking around the show rooms, and we came across a lot of individual framed pictures of: celebrities oil painted, designs, and his clothes being modeled.

The photo on the far left in the middle is my favourite photo ever. I love the way the model angles her body to look so irregular and abnormal, especially in a simple black dress outlining all the curves, and positioning of her body.

As we carried on more, and more beautiful, and wacky collections were in sight, including this one:

 In the photo on the right, the things above the model's head is their hair. I couldn't believe that their hair was used to create such weird sculptures and shapes! The piece on the left is a boudoir style outfit which looks like something Dita Vonteese would wear with the very revealing, lace body.

 Tribute To Africa Collection:

 I personally wouldn't wear the wedding gown for my wedding-it's a tad non-traditional, however it definitely stands out in the unique side. Just by first glance you can see how much detail and effort has been put in to the gown, and it certainly looks 140 hours worth of work with all the layers on the skirt, and bead/chains on the top to fit and make a bodess. The face-mask dress is incredibly creepy, but also very creative as well! It looks like a face that would be on a totem pole in a tribe, which may be where some inspiration came from.

Random Pieces:

One of my most favourite pieces of the show was the leopard style dress. The leopard is made out of extremely tiny beads all hand-sewn on to form the illusion that a fabric was used to make it. In photo's the dress doesn't look so impressive, but in person it's breath-taking at the amount of tiny detail put in to the dress which would take someone years to do! The first outfit looks quite zombie-like and almost as if a dress has been shredded to pieces, and the last is a very vamped up army style 2 piece, and makes army clothing look fashionable.

 In one room there was a theater bit that you could watch some JPG runway shows, and as the chairs were so stylish, and designer I couldn't not have my photo taken in one. 

When you leave the show there's a bit outside that Jean Paul Gaultier himself has signed, and also left 'The Frog!' written as he is known as the 'French Frog' because he's French, and French people are known for eating frog legs.

Details:

These are from a pirate style dress, and you can see how many tiny, individual beads are sewn on, and how every inch of the dress is covered in minor details to make the piece a one-off thing that couldn't be re-creacted by anyone.

I admire JPG and all his pieces for being so innovative, and something that only someone with a very creative, and special mind could create.

UPDATED WHAT'S IN MY MAKEUP BAG

Hello!

It's been a while since I last showed what was in my make-up bag, and since things have changed quite a lot I thought I'd do an updated version with a better layout and products.

I'm going to go through my makeup bag in categories and show what's inside, however as there are quite a lot of products I won't be explaining all of them.

The Inside looks like this:

As you can see it's every cramped and crowded, and that is because I am a makeup hoarder. I worry that if I take out a product then I may need that on an occasion, and will regret taking it out-I don't know why I think like this, but that's why I can't organize my makeup bag hence why there's so many products in there.

1. Stay Matte Powder in 003

2. Rimmel Match Perfection foundation in 010-I don't wear foundation but I always like to have backup in case I need it.

3. Urban Decay Primer Potion-This came in my Urban Decay eyeshadow palette, I've only just started using it and I am very glad I did. I didn't think primers were worth the hassle and money, however they really do help in keeping my eyeliner on all day-especially as I have watery eyes this helps prevent smudging.

4. Boots Tea Tree spot wand 

5. Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light-This concealer is a holy grail product, the best and most affordable concealer ever.

6. Natural Collection Green concealer-Green concealers are used to cancel out redness from spots because the green counteracts the red, so I keep this in here for rare nasty blemishes.

1. MUA pencil eyeliner-I don't use pencil eyeliner, however I keep this in my bag because the lid has an in-built sharpener which is useful for eyebrow pencils.

2. Maybelline The Falsies mascara

3. Benefit They're Real mascara-This mascara is very similar to The Falsies mascara, except this one is more pricey, but I enjoy using them simultaneously for a dramatic, full lash look.

4. L'Oreal Paris Super Liner

5. L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Brow Artist-I have 2 of these because I take one out with me wherever I go as I have a fear of my eyebrow rubbing off, and washing off in rain.

6. Collection clear mascara-This is for my eyebrows, not my eyelashes. It keeps my brow hairs in place all day, and makes my eyebrows look more defined and sharp.

7. Maybelline Gel eyeliner-In my most recent review I said about not using this very often, however I do use it over my L'Oreal Paris eyeliner to ensure a waterproof line.

8. Models Own eyelash curler

1. Benefit blusher in Dandelion-This was in my makeup bag in my last post, but as it's Spring again I put this back in because it's a more subtle, and natural colour.

2. Benefit blusher in Rockateur

3. Bourjois Paris Delice de Poudre bronzer-This is what I use for contouring rather than a full-face bronzed look. This bronzer is especially good for contouring, because it is quite matte which means it's easier to give your face shape as it looks like a shadow rather than a glow.

4. Benefit "That Gal" Primer

5. Rimmel London eyeshadow in 001-Eventhough this is an eyeshadow I use it as a highlighter because it's not too iridescent, and doesn't have purple undertones so it's easier to use as a cheekbone highlight because it doesn't look too strong.

6. Mac Vanilla pigment-I use this pigment for highlighting smaller areas like; the bridge of my nose, inner eye, brow bone, and cupids bow.

 1. Homemade Lip Balm

2. Kate Moss lipstick in 01

3. Kate Moss lipstick in 107-I wear this lipstick the most out of all the ones in my makeup bag because it's not as bright as a red, but also isn't pink, it's a gorgeous plum colour that suits all outfits and makeup looks.

 4. Kate Moss lipstick in 20-I haven't worn this yet because it's an extremely bright pink, however as the Spring season is approaching, I will be wearing this more with my Dandelion blusher that I have also bought back into my makeup bag for Spring.

5. Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick in 006

 

6. Tesco Lip balm-The reason I have a cheap Tesco lip balm is because I use it just before I apply lipstick. As it's cheap it has no additional features so doesn't leave a shiny residue which is not what I want before applying a lipstick, and that's why I have this.

7. Lipcote-For those who don't know, Lipcote is a fluid in which you apply onto blotted lipstick, and it keeps the product on all day. It also protects the lipstick from transferring onto something else, e.g another persons lips, water bottles. I find this very handy and useful for when I'm going out, and won't have an opportunity for re-applying lipstick.

8. Clinique Balm in Grapefruit

9. Mac lipstick in Creme D'Nude-I love this lipstick for lazy, natural makeup days. It's a subtle nude with a glossy finish that doesn't leave your lips looking like 'foundation lips', and also has a moisturizing feel.

10. Mac Plushglass in Nice Buzz

 1. EcoTools Face brush-This isn't the best powder brush because it's not a large and is very dense, so this brush makes it harder to evenly distribute the powder, and only pick up a small amount of product.

2. Maybelline Gel eyeliner brush

3. Real Techniques Detailer brush-I use this for applying the Mac Pigment because it's very small, and fits into the pot.

4. Boots Eyelash and Brow groomer

5. Real Techniques Contour brush-I use this for contouring the bronzer as it is the right dome shape to fit into the hollows of my cheeks, temples, and jawline.

 6. Real Techniques Pointed Foundation brush-Like I said, I don't wear foundation so I use this for my concealer instead as I like an even finish.

7. EcoTools Angled brush

8. Real Techniques Blusher brush-I really like this blusher brush, with one sweep over my blusher then cheeks I have the right amount of colour on my cheeks, and don't look too fake or over done.

9. Real Techniques Expert Face brush-This is used for applying the eyeshadow highlighter. As the brush is dense it picks up the product well, and is the right size for sweeping up my cheeks.

You may or may not have noticed I don't have any eyeshadow products for my eyes, this is because I don't really have time for eyeshadow, and I also don't have the brushes for perfecting an eyeshadow look. Anyway, my makeup bag is probably too full for most people's liking, however it helps with all my needs!

SPRING TRENDS

Hello!

 I've noticed quite a few trends approaching this Spring season, and I am loving them all. These are a few things I have noticed coming into trend, and are being worn a lot by the public.

Trend No.1:

When people hear the words 'Hoop Earrings' they mostly think of chav, tacky, or over the top. However, after seeing a lot of people who aren't chavvy, or tacky wearing hoop earrings this immediately struck me that hoop earrings are a new trend. I recently purchased some myself, and I'm loving them a lot. The simplicity of a simple gold circle looks so beautiful with any outfit-whether that be plain, or extravagant, a hoop earring goes with anything.

 

 Nicole Scherzinger pulls off the classic hoop earring very well at the IHeartRadio Music Festival with her dazzling sequined blazer, and white top. Like I said, hoop earrings can be worn with anything because of how simple they are, but add an elegant touch when paired with the right clothing.

I'm unsure as to how these became more popular, but I've seen many shops stocking them as a staple rather then a general on-sale item which shows how popular these are gradually becoming.







Trend No.2:

Every year pastels make an appearance, whether they appear in; clothing, accessories, shoes, or make-up, they're everywhere! Pastels are usually worn all year round, but make a debut during Spring time as that's when the weather starts to get not only brighter, but warmer too, so more subtle colours are needed to match the blossoming of flowers rather then deep colours attracting the heat rays, and being too bold for such sights.

Pastels are being worn in recent runway shows so it's definitely making a big appearance once again, but I feel this year it's going to be bigger than ever.

I love how pastels are so simple and easy to pull off, and also flatter everyone due to the amount of varieties pastel clothing is styled in. Also, you can pick your-most flattering style, and wear it with whatever silhouette flatters you.





Trend No.3:

Another accessory that's coming into season are 'Scrunchies.' Scrunchies were first worn in the 1980's to the mid 1990's, and after 24 years they've made an appearance into fashion once again. I used to wear scrunchies when I was in Lower School as it came with my uniform, but I never thought that at the age of 15 I'd be wearing one again as a fashion statement-rather then a utensil to tie my hair up with.

American Apparel were one of the shops that re-introduced scrunchies, then Topshop started selling them, and from there on they became back as a trend.

Not only do they look extremely cute and edgy, but they also don't feel uncomfortable and don't pull on the hair strands tightly because of the fabric layer outside the elastic.

Scrunchies are sold in so

many different colours and varieties that they can be worn with any outfit, and styled in so many different ways which is why they're so fabulous and popular.

Trend No.4:

I never thought I'd see skorts become a trend, I've only ever seen them as a sporting essential, however I was wrong as skorts are now making their way to catwalks. Tartan was a main staple for Autumn/Winter, and it appears that an element of Scotland is going to remain throughout Spring with skorts mainly being sold in tartan which isn't very Spring like at all, however they still look adorable and look lovely on a night out when the atmosphere is more dark to suit the dark tartan print.

 As you can see, skorts are usually paired with something plain depending on whether the skort is made out of a patterned fabric or not. As the one in the picture is tartan, I would expect it to be worn with something plain because the skort should be the main focus of the outfit as it's so unique.

The way skorts have been transformed from a sporting clothes item to a fashion item is very clever, and Vogue have also recently advertised that sportswear is the new everyday clothing, so I expect to see a lot more sport style trends.

There are more trends about at the moment, but these are the main ones that have caught my eye.