With summer comes heat, and with heat comes sweat and the inevitable smudging and melting of make up. Bearing this in mind, I decided to expand my matte lipstick collection by picking up three shades of the MUA Velvet Lip Lacquer online to give a try. The shades I got are Criminal, Reckless and Serene (left to right). 

Reckless and Criminal really impressed me. Both were highly pigmented and incredible colours. While slightly sticky at first application, they quickly dried and mattified, and after this you could hardly feel them on. They are slightly drying due to how matte the finish actually is. They do not transfer at all and keep their opacity for several hours, even after eating, drinking and sweating. 

However, with Serene I had some issues. While it applied similarly to the other two, I found after a few seconds of it being matte the product almost seemed to peel off my lips from the centre. It gave a much streakier finish and also did not have the same opacity as the other two lacquers. Due to the picture being slightly off on the website, I found the colour to not match me at all and instead make me look ill or an odd colour. However, on application I'm really not sure who this would suit...

All in all for £3 each, the quality of Reckless and Criminal was unexpected and far surpasses what I actually was expecting. Definitely a recommendation for those two, and maybe stay away from Serene.

Shannon

X

This week in England has been ridiculously hot. As someone who burns through windows and passes out in 20 degrees heat, I have found it hard to function. A positive of this heat however is that I've dug back into my old stash of more waterproof/sweat resistant products as well as buying a few new ones! 

The first products I have found is the Maybelline 24 hour colour tattoos. I have talked about these before, both on my blog and on my youtube channel. I stopped using them in favour for my Stila Palette, but with the recent heat I didn't want to spend ages putting make up on just for it to fall off my face later on. The 24 hour tattoos stay on your lids until you choose to take them off with makeup remover and are practically heatproof. Thank God. They are also very pigmented and easy to blend, especially with each other as I have found. The two colours I have been loving are Metallic Pomegranate and On and On Bronze, and mixed together on the lid create a really nice rusty bronze finish that may not be too summer appropriate but still looks very flattering. 

The next favourite I have been loving this week is the Benefit Watts Up highlighter. I use a matte blush a lot of the time as I love the colours I have, so this adds a healthy glow to my skin and helps me feel more summery. It comes out a champagne colour and is very easy to blend into the skin. I apply onto the cheekbones and occasionally down the bridge of my nose if I feel I'm looking particularly dull and it really brightens my complexion. 

My final beauty favourite of the week is a new purchase, the MUA  velvet lip lacquer in Criminal. It goes on really well, and although slightly sticky to begin with, it mattifies quickly and you can barely feel it on your lips. I bought a few different shades, so expect a full review later this week! I feel this colour is extremely summery however and as I have very few bright pinks, it really adds to my collection. 

My last love of the week is Parks and Recreation. Pretty much everyone knows about this show, but if you are late to the party all I can say is watch it! I rarely laugh out loud at TV/film and this has me almost crying with laughter almost every episode. I have slightly fallen in love with Ben Wyatt and April Ludgate and truly love the show and the realism of the plot and the comedy. It is set in a fictional town of Pawnee and describes the journey of Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, through her career in local government and personal life. A real must see!

So these have been my loves for this week, I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!

Shannon 

X

Before I say anything about the product, can we just admire how defined my jawbone looks? If only that were real life.

Anyway...

I bought this product on recommendation of Zoella in her November favourites due to the fact it looked incredibly similar to the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets that I do love so much and also the fact it looked an incredible colour on her lips. This is in the shade 005 Parisian Passion and I thought it would be an incredible A/W shade.

Honestly, I am incredibly disappointed by this product. I have applied this a grand total of three times, and two times out of the three I have wiped it off not half an hour into wearing it due to how uncomfortable it felt. The colour pay off is not incredible, it is quite sheer unless built up a lot and is nowhere near as dark as I expected. However, the main issue with this product is the formula. It is much more of a gloss than a lacquer/liquid lipstick which I am not a fan of, especially with a bold lip. I like my darker colours to be matte in order to pack a much harder punch. It is very sticky, which is another pet peeve of mine, and does not stay put. It smudges everywhere even when applying, meaning that your lips look a mess from the beginning. I don't know if it's the formula or doe foot applicator which makes applying it so hard, but I found it difficult to apply it and get clean lines. It also came off quite patchy which is an absolute no. 

All in all, despite my expectations, this product has made me incredibly disappointed. I don't know if this formula is due to the shade, but I am not particularly keen to spend another £8 on a product I dislike this much. I'll stick to my Bourjois thank you!

xx

I'm not being funny but where the hell is 2014 going? October flew by so fast, but as another month passes, another favourite is here!

FTN beanie; I've been wearing this a lot recently as it goes with pretty much everything I wear as I only wear monochrome, and adds a bit of colour and warmth to my outfit. This link will take you straight to it;
http://www.findthenomads.com/collections/products/products/script-beanie-burgundy

Revlon BB Cream in Light; In rushes for college in the morning, foundation isn't always an option, and this is where this BB cream comes in. It's a really quick lightweight option that I can just throw on and go in comparison to my Sheer Glow which takes a lot of blending. It is slightly too dark for me but I can pull it off if I blend it into my neck well, and this doesn't take much time at all so I feel it's worth it!

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner in Nude; I love this eyeliner for again, rushed college mornings where I seem to lose time and end up having none. It makes my eyes look bigger and makes me look awake when really I'm falling asleep. 

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Damsel; This comes with the In The Light Palette and I love it. For days when black is too harsh or I'm too scared/tired to attempt to use my Maybelline gel pen, this is a great alternative. It's ridiculously pigmented and creamy, and very easy to use, and once it is on it does not budge at all. 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Stick in 011 Bluffing; I feel like the theme of running late is popping up a lot in this post, and I won't lie, it happens a lot. This is my eyeshadow of choice when I'm late because it is such an easy thing to apply. It is very easy to blend as it is a creamy texture, but isn't crazy pigmented meaning it can be applied a bit hap-hazardly and you won't be able to tell. It gives off a bronze shimmery texture that looks like you spent time and effort on your eyeshadow as it gives a small amount of definition and is all round a great product.

Seventeen Falsifeye HD Mascara; When I first used this product I was not impressed as I found it just made my lashes blacker and did not add anything to them. However, after about a week I came back to it and found it much better. It really grips the lashes and coats each individual one and gives them both length and volume. I really love this mascara now, and my first impression definitely wasn't right!

NARS Audacious Lipstick in Audrey; I don't have any lipsticks like this colour, and I think that says a lot already. It's warm toned which makes me feel slightly uncomfortable usually as my teeth usually look yellow-er, but this lipstick doesn't which is a huge plus. It is very pigmented and goes on creamily but has good staying power and lasts a very long time. Because of how pigmented it is, it's not a good idea to put it on in a rush but I love it anyways. 

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Vintage Pink; This colour is great for days when you don't want a bright lip but you don't want a nude, and is super hydrating. The formula is really creamy and goes on so easily. The staying power isn't great but it's understandable due to the creaminess, but reapplying isn't a hassle as it's easy to apply. 

MUA Lipstick in Shade 11; This is a really nice nude colour as it has coral tones to it and gives your lips a bit of colour without giving them too much. It's very creamy but not moisturising or drying. The staying power again isn't great and you have to apply it very frequently but it's my go to college lipstick if I can't find one I like, and so I just reapply it whenever I have the chance. 

Too Faced Perfect Flush Blush in Candy Glow; This is like a highlighter and a blusher in one and I love it. It has three different strips to it and mixed together gives a really healthy looking colour while still being natural. It is great for the colder months as it gives you the look of going outdoors and being in the cold while still making you look healthy and glowy like you do in summer. It does smell disgusting though, just a word of warning. 

I would like to start out by apologising for how rubbish I've been with posting recently! I don't have access to a proper camera, which is always a great thing for a blogger, so taking photos has been a nightmare. Because of this, please forgive the photo quality as I have had to resort to my iPhone in order to get this up today. I also have my driving theory coming up soon so my highway code has been engrained into my mind after hours of just staring. It's safe to say I am not going to pass...

ANYWAY! I have decided to start a new series called Most Worn, where I talk about my most used product of choice. As you can tell by the title, today's is lipstick. 

The packaging of the product alone shows how much I have loved this lipstick. Topshop lipsticks are widely regarded as high quality in the beauty world, and rightly so. I only own two, but both are favourites of mine. Beatnik is a your lips but better shade, and as a result, can be worn with any sort of look. It is my go to shade if I have no idea what look I am after and I feel it adds just a little something. It is quite glossy but not overpowering, with no or little glitter. It's extremely creamy to apply which feels nice on the lips but means the lasting time isn't great, which means reapplying throughout the day is a necessity. I also find the packaging annoying as when you first buy the product it looks really pretty as the white gives off a clean effect which for some reason I like a lot, but because it is white it means that it gets dirty. Quickly. It also chips easily which means if you just throw it in your bag with keys and coins lying around, chipping is unavoidable.

I do love this lipstick a lot despite the lasting power and tatty packaging, and when I go back to college it is definitely replacing my colours as my staple again. 

As we all know, I'm terrible with money. Or, another way of putting it is that I'm very good at spending. Not all the products are photographed because there were that many!

 I would also like to point out that these were not all bought in one go. I'm not that bad. 

In order of photos; 

Rose Gold Zoeva Brush Set- £62.50 inc. shipping 

Lips;

Laura Mercier Lip Crayon in Burnt Clay- £4.00 in Space NK sale

Illamasqua Lipstick in Magnetism- £10.00 in the sale

Mac Matte Lipstick in Russian Red- €18.50 in the Mac store in Paris, £15.50 in UK

Pallets; 

Urban Decay Naked Pallet- €47.90 in Sephora in Paris, £37 in UK

Elf Baked Eyeshadow Pallet-£12.95 inc. shipping

MUA Undress Me Too Pallet- £4 (!!!!) from Superdrug

Skincare/Haircare; 

Clean and Clear Deep Action Cream Wash-£3.50 from Sainsburys

Evian Facial Spray- about €3.50 from E.Leclerc, but I'm sure they sell them in the UK

Bio Naia Crème Hydratante Visage (Face moisturiser)- €3.80 from E.Leclerc as I had forgotten my Nivea moisturiser

Vitanove Dry Shampoo- €2.50 from (omg) E.Leclerc as my Batiste had run out): 

Amore Mio Forever- €6 from E.Leclerc 

Desigual Purse- €59 from Desigual Store, £64 in UK

Face Products;

B.Radiant Under Eye Concealer in Light- £3.99 in Superdrug sale

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 1 Fair- £4.19 from Boots

Maybelline Baby Skin Primer- £7.99 from Tescos

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in 010 Light Porcelain- £8.99 from Superdrug

Cheeky Freeze Frame Make Up Setting Spray- £10.00 from Superdrug

Hoola Bronzer (not pictured)- £27.50 inc. shipping 

Eye Products;

Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Bronze Beam- £15.50 inc. shipping

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Pencil in Matte Taupe- £4.49 from Superdrug

As you can tell, I may have gone OTT this month, however I have an excuse! I am stocking up on staples as you can tell, hence why things like the Hoola Bronzer have been included. The product I am most excited about however is most definitely my Zoeva brush set. Expect reviews on some of these products soon!