My Experience of The Brow Game

Around two/three years ago when Cara Delevingne first figuratively blew up, I decided it was time to invest in some eBay £1.99 brow powder and went through some seriously tragic brow days.

Looking back on these dire days dampens my mood profoundly. 

Since, I have decided to never again try hard at being an eyebrow person. To be honest, I was slightly scared into submission because of the horrible influx that emerged consisting of a high demand for beautifully arched flawless brows and girls suddenly being really judgy on what brows were looking like. I'm not going to pretend like I didn't think I was the eyebrow equivalent of an X Factor Judge in the sense that I hoped I could be exempt from the judgement by being able to know good brows from bad but anyways, brows were and still are suddenly a really big deal and getting it right is quite exhausting.

For this reason I had been just getting by with a Rimmel Brow Pencil for like a year and half and though I rarely felt like my eyebrow game was 'fleeky' enough to make others envious, it done the trick. 

However, over the last year or so, I have revamped my one-product eyebrow collection by purchasing the cult classics; the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade in Chocolate, Brow Wiz in Soft Brown and Clear Brow Gel, the Soap and Glory Brow Archery 2-in- 1 in Hot Chocolate and the L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper in Medium/Dark.

I'm not going to go full blown review on you because this post is already getting long but the Brow Pomade is something that I find requires practice and precision to not go permanent marker-esque. I'm yet to fully conquer it so I tend to only use it when I'm going out at night or have a load of time to do my makeup. When I do use it, I use a MAC 266, which I invested in for eyebrow's sake. 

The whole two colours in the entire range thing is super shady (I love puns.) of Soap and Glory to do but if the two on offer work for you, you're in for a treat because it's quick and easy to use and hella natural looking. The Anastasia brow wiz is exactly the same in all departments except price so if the Soap and Glory shade range does you wrong, Anastasia has your back!

With regards to setting brows in place, in short, I think the Anastasia Clear Brow Gel removes some product when you apply it which is annoying because it makes them look a bit sparse but it does a great job of locking the product in. On the other hand, the L'oreal Brow Artist Plumper is fantastic (sooo much better than the Maybelline brow drama) and I'm going to try the clear version also in the hopes it does a better job than the Anastasia one for a much lower price.

Brows using the Anastasia Brow Wiz and Clear Brow Gel

These products have really made me feel like I have my life together, simply by doing their thing to my brows. Though my brow game is by no means strong, I would highly recommend the L'Oreal brow artist and Soap and Glory/Anastasia brow wiz for any brow beginners- if you want to avoid the loud and proud brow situation I had going on circa 2013 that is.

And that is the end of story time kids! Follow me on BlogLovin' if you liked this post and feel free to share/comment and all the rest of it. Thanks for reading!

Lots of love,

Olivia xo

My Drugstore Monday Morning Face

One of my favourite things about being a girl is that you can wake up and literally decide whether or not you want to be pretty that day. Whenever I wake up hating life (a feeling usually exclusive to Monday mornings) and want to avoid looking like an extra from The Walking Dead here's what I reach for and a brief summary of why...

The bases of choice

All of these provide a nice light-medium coverage that evens everything out without being heavy in the slightest. The Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation does this in a thicker way but is still by no stretch of the imagination thick; it just feels a bit like you have something on. However, the Garnier BB cream which I have in the lighter of the two shades and the Max Factor CC cream, which I surprisingly got in the darkest of the three shades in the range, are weightless on the skin. For this particular Monday Morning I went for the Garnier BB cream because my skin was feeling pretty shitty and I didn't want to slap on foundation. Let's ignore that it's probably an equally counter productive choice...

Eye Bags and Lips

Featuring my brand-less looking Collection concealers...

All of these concealers are incredible but I've admittedly been off the Collection Lasting Perfection one that everyone and their Aunt May rave about in the blogosphere for quite a while because it dries out my under eye area when set. However, for old times sake I gave the shade 2 a go today and was pleasantly surprised. I simply cannot go on without mentioning the LA girl Pro Conceal which managed reached Holy Grail status in like a week. I use the shade Creamy Beige and though it isn't Nars Creamy Radiant, it sure is the better version of MAC Prolongwear for me.

Bold lips on Mondays are hit and miss with me. Sometimes I like one as a distraction from my not so Chanel eye-bags but most of the time I cannot be bothered (today being the latter). Therefore, I used my Helen E Lip crayon in Beauty Queen which is a creamy and pigmented nude dream, with my NYX butter gloss in Praline which I want my entire life to smell like.

Blot, Bronze, Blush and...Glow?

Alliteration fails suck. 

My drugstore choice of Bronzer is the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer which I really like because it doesn't turn into loose powder when you put a brush to it so you get quite an even coverage that steers clear of being muddy. 

Rimmel Transparent powder is also a drugstore go-to but for blotting away the disco ball nature of my face. 

I feel like I'm on an eternal quest for the right blusher brush and so because I didn't want to be reminded of said quest I applied my NYX cream blush in Natural and blended it out with my fingers.

Keeping on the creamy track I used the L'Oreal lumi magique base as a highlighter which wasn't as intense as I'm used to but was a nice natural touch.

Lashes

I always feel like I'm not maximising my mascara's full potential by having two on the go at once so now my fave mascara (Maybelline the Falsies) has dried up and I've cracked open it's back up, the Collection Does it all Mascara. Both are waterproof because I have seriously watery eyes and though the Collection isn't a show-stopper that gives any sort of False Lash effect, it is excellent for day to day wear and super affordable!

And here's my drugstore picks on my face. It is not a revolutionary make up look but it does the trick and that's all I'm looking for on a Monday morning.

*** May we also note that I made it this far without doing the whole beauty products on a fashion book blogger thing? It was always going to happen though so whatever, it's cool.

What product do you reach for to make you look more awake?

You can check out part two of my Monday Morning series here!

Olivia xo

The MAC Lipstick Collection Anniversary Post!

Note: For some reason this post (the one that has taken the longest to write out of all my posts thus far) deleted from my blog and I am absolutely raging about it. If you’ve read this before I apologise but I wanted to repost it as a sort of milestone or whatever because it’s kind of an important generic beauty blog post to do. Thankfully, I wrote half of it on Word so here goes…(if this has ever happened to you feel free to rage with me in the comments)

Ladies, Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, NOVEMBER IS UPON US!

For me, this means that it’s been a year since I started collecting MAC lipsticks which inspired this post and it’s date of publishing. Lipsticks of the MAC variety were the gateway drug that led to my current status of makeup addict so they will always be important to me. Irrespective of finish, they have consistent high quality and I feel like every woman should have one! After education, equal rights and black skinny jeans, of course…

As someone who strongly believes that celebrating half-birthdays should totally be a socially acceptable thing, it was inevitable that I would celebrate this little ‘anniversary’.  So here’s my collection, in order of purchase, for you to have a nose of!

1. Velvet Teddy- Matte finish

That’s right kids, way before Kylie Jenner had even considered creating her own variety of lip I had this bad boy in my midst. A very random colour to start with but when I was in Cardiff last November, for some reason I decided that I needed this in my life. I never understood why it didn’t have much hype around it as even once I’d acquired more MAC Lipsticks, this combined with Whirl lip liner remained my favourite. It’s matte but creamy and if you don’t like matte lipsticks it also looks good with clear gloss over top!

2. Please Me- Matte finish

I picked this up in the airport on the way to Holland for my school’s Dutch exchange programme and in retrospect I wish I’d picked up more as I think it would have softened the blow of the tragic 10 day experience. It’s my go-to everyday matte-soft pink shade and is my most well-loved lipstick. It also suits all skin tones so is an all-round winner.

3. Private Party- Satin finish

I also got this at the airport before The Netherlands too and it’s a stunning dark purple that I love because on the lips it doesn’t look like as much of a bold dark lip that it is in theory. It actually makes me very nervous that this is limited edition (I cannot for the life of me remember what collection it’s from) because I have no idea how I will replace it when it finishes. Dupe suggestions are heartily welcomed!!!!!

4. Pink Nouveau- Satin finish

This is the bluest pink I have- it’s so blue that I’d say it leans towards a lilacy pink. The blue undertones mean whiter teeth for everyone and I’ve seen a lot of people describe this as a statement Barbie pink but on me it’s a bit more muted than that. I like it very much but for some reason I find myself reaching for Please Me more…

5. Girl About Town- Amplified finish

Welcome: the winner of the Longest lasting lipstick ever. Honestly, if you swipe this on really quickly just to see if it goes with your outfit it will make the decision for you because it will stick around all day! It’s both a blessing and a curse. I’d definitely describe it as stain-like. It is a hella creamy statement deep pink that can be glossy or satin, if blotted.

6. Up the Amp- Amplified finish

Though bold in nature, this is faint-hearted friendly if patted into the lips but my preferred method is to slather it on and create a deep lilac situation as seen above.

7. Vegas Volt- Amplified finish

To sum it up in a sentence: this is summer in a shade. This is one I always forget to reach for but I love, again, how creamy it is. It’s a bold, coral orange that doesn’t look clowny in the slightest and I hardly ever see similar ones to it on other makeup counters.

8. Patisserie- Lustre finish

Oh how I love thee. This is a your-lips-but-pinker nude that I recommend to every fair-medium skin tone to try! It’s so easy to put on with pretty much any outfit or makeup look. It’s the only Lustre finish I have and I expected it to be pointlessly sheer but it’s definitely buildable. I wouldn’t recommend giving this Handbag Lipstick status in summer as it will melt but for Autumn/Winter it’s great to have on you for those days where nothing is going right and you feel like you need some lipstick on to cheer you up. P.S. Don’t let the glitters in the bullet put you off, this lipstick is no shimmer fest.

9. Cosmo- Amplified finish

This suits every skin tone under the sun and in every season on the calendar. It’s a nude that is your-lips-but-better with a slight raspberry tone to it. This and Russian Red are great choices for a first MAC lipstick and I highly recommend it. This is another one that hardly has any buzz around it in the beauty blogosphere and I have no idea why as I think it's amazing!

10. Diva- Matte finish

This is the most confidence enhancing and appropriately named lipstick I own. I literally feel like Beyoncé/ Regina George wearing it. It’s sexy, cute, dark and badass all at once. Let’s just say, bold statement though it might be, that if Grease was remade nowadays, this is what Sandy would be wearing in that scene.

11. Blankety- Amplified finish

I bought this on a whim as I didn’t own any straight up more-than-a-concealer-lip nudes and as you can see, this all over the lip does absolutely nothing for my face. However, there is a silver lining to this tragic tale as when paired with my trusted Whirl lipliner, a stunning 90’s lip is created that I wear all the time. In fact, I think I would choose this if I had to pick one lip look to wear for the rest of my life. Wow.

12. Angel- Frost finish

I got this because of Kimmy K which I mentioned in my Birthday Makeup Haul post and I’m not going to lie, I don’t reach for it much. I find myself automatically grabbing Please Me when I want to wear a pink and so this tends to slip under the radar. However, since I began writing this post I’ve made the effort to wear it more and now it’s becoming my go-to lip colour for natural no makeup makeup days. I always get compliments when I wear it so I totally understand why it is renowned as Ms. Kardashian West’s fave.

13. Russian red- Matte finish

My best friend got me this for my birthday and I am eternally grateful. It’s a straight up telephone/post box red and is matte but incredibly comfortable on the lips. I would describe it as Ruby Woo’s friendlier cousin as most people I know buy Ruby Woo and hate how drying it is but this is not drying in the slightest. It's also blue toned so makes my teeth look pearly white which is why it has replaced my Tom Ford Wild Ginger lipstick I raved about here as my favourite red to wear!

14. Viva Glam Rihanna 2- Frost finish

I love this one so much that I wrote an entire blog post about it. Check that out here.

I had so much fun making and writing this post so thank you for reading it! Crazy as it may seem, I actually have a kind-of-sort-of  Part Two coming up in the next few weeks so stay tuned for that!

Let me know your favourite MAC lipsticks in the comments!

Olivia xo

NARS Haul #1

Forgive me, for I have sinned.

I said in my last post that I've been loving NARS right now and this payday boy, oh boy was that statement consolidated. After a few too many bad customer service experiences in MAC, I had a serious NARS moment and here's what I got. P.S. I hope you like pink polka dots...

1. Blush in Deep Throat

Having Deep throat or Orgasm is the obligatory beauty blogger thing to do and for ages I've been flitting between which one to get. Finally, I decided that Orgasm is rather similar to the Sleek blusher in Rose Gold that I wrote about here, so purchased Deep Throat. I think next up for me is Super Orgasm. Side note: NARS blush names are so hilarious, right?

2. Matte Multiple in Cappadoce

I am aware that these are a complete rip off considering the standard Multiples are bigger yet the same price but I have been lusting over them for months. There are three contour shades in the range: one lighter than this which was too peachy for me and two warmer/deeper ones which are very similar. I've only used it twice and my verdict thus far is that admittedly it's quite gimmicky and would be much better if it was a tad more grey. As it's so warm it doesn't quite create the shadow effect that is basically the whole point of contouring so is better for bronzing up the skin. However, two uses isn't a good enough representation of my final opinion and I think once I experiment a bit more by applying it wet etc. I will come to like it better.

3. Audacious Lipstick in Audrey

After seeing Lily Pebbles' post on her picks from this new 40 shade lipstick range and stalking this Temptalia post for like a week, I decided on the shade Audrey. I swatched it and fell in love even more so purchased it from Selfridges. It's a berry red that is also pinkish but also an everyday colour and that makes absolutely no sense. I'd describe this as the halfway house between MAC's Cosmo and Rimmel and Kate Moss' 107 lipstick. The sleek, silky black packaging shuts with the most satisfying magnetic clasp which was a major selling point for me. The only problem I have with the visual aspects of this lipstick is that I wouldn't want to go running to this with foundation covered hands/fingers as I can tell it isn't going to be very fingerprint resistant. 
The lipstick itself isn't majorly long-wearing because it's so creamy/hydrating and so far I've had trouble with it bleeding and transferring quite a bit. I'm used to touching my face and not having to worry about whether I have lipstick under my eye or on my cheek but this is already all up on my favourite coat and has got quite friendly with some of my clothes. It's quite annoying considering it's £24 a pop so if you're looking for a lipstick that doesn't budge this isn't for you but if you don't mind reapplying throughout the day this is your guy.

4. Algorithm

This is both the icing on the cake and the cake itself. I've been hunting down the Ita brush for what feels like forever and Laguna is my favourite bronzer so this is my definition of heaven on Earth. The hunt for the Ita brush is a struggle that is intensified by fact that in some department stores it's £43 and others £28. I was told by someone in Selfridges that they're not allowed to sell the brush in the UK for different prices but the Liberty's and John Lewis websites beg to differ. The fact that in all stores it is notoriously out of stock means that attaining one is a game of sheer luck. 

Anyway, this Limited Edition Holiday set features a version of the Ita that is the exact same size with just a mini/shorter handle. The Laguna seems bigger than the size that costs you £27 in a standard purchase and on top of all of this goodness, the container of it all has a stunning design. So for £39 for the set, even my mother (who constantly rebukes me for my frequent make up purchases) agrees that it's a bargain!
On a tiny bit of a negative note, the Ita brush is much more scratchy than I expected it to be, however this may be due to the fact that I recently placed an order on Zoeva and am currently floating about life on a cloud made of their soft brush bristles...

Swatches

L-R: Cappadoce, Audrey, Deep Throat

Thanks for reading this and let me know in the comments what you love from NARS!

Oh and I'd love it if you followed me on bloglovin'

Olivia xo

MY OCTOBER FAVOURITES

Hey guys!

So October is coming to a close and though I feel like I haven't actually been doing much, I've certainly become quite specific about what I'm using/wearing/watching- many a holy grail product has been discovered. I think there's just something about Autumn that makes me yearn for consistency...Alas, here's a round up of what I've been loving this month and why!

MAKEUP 

NARS really hit the spot this month and I am not even exaggerating when I say I've been wearing these two products EVERY day. Apart from one or two occasions when I started to feel bad for not utilising the rest of my makeup collection, this is combo has not left my face.
At first I didn't think of Laguna as that spectacular until I started using it to bronze up post-base application with Zoeva's 127 Luxe Sheer Cheek brush. The results have been so glorious that I've hit pan after two months with Laguna. It really does warm up my skin, it's not too matte nor shimmery and I completely understand why it's earned cult status.
It took a while for me to accept that the shade of Radiant Creamy Concealer I received for my birthday was too dark to brighten up my face but when I had, ASOS conveniently had a 25% student discount moment so I purchased the shade Custard and haven't looked back since. It is everything the name suggests and the uber creamy texture is everything my under eye area could ask for- it's divine!
I mentioned both of these in my birthday make-up haul so if you want to, you can check that post out here.

My fave lip combo of the month has been MAC's Whirl lipliner with Blankety lipstick patted in the centre of the lip. I have it on in my Twitter icon so hit me up on there to see it in action. I will upload a better picture in my next post, which will be my MAC lipstick collection.

PERFUME

I am not a perfume person. My sister is a perfume obsessive and it's something I've never really bothered with. Considering Victoria's Secret Love Spell spray is just shy of £15 why would I spend loads of money on fancy perfume, right? As you can see, being a non-perfume person has turned me into someone who sees all perfume as having Chanel no.5 mature ladylike elegance... Anyway, after being recommended it by a friend and it getting rather comfortable on my wish list for months, I finally picked me up a 50ml bottle of Georgio Armarni Si and it has become my everyday scent. In case you were wondering, I am now loving the fully fledged perfume person life.  

CLOTHES/SHOES

Not much has changed for me clothes wise recently, I have well and truly lost my Fashion Month sartorial enthusiasm and quick, casual outfits are currently the thing for me. To paint a picture for you, I haven't worn a skirt once this month simply because I'm too lazy to wear tights. I feel like I still live in my black Topshop Joni jeans and without fail wear them every week: I think it's time I get a back up pair.

Jumper- Primark
Trousers- H&M

A footwear purchase I made whilst in Manchester were these little black wonders. They are by Truffle and I got them in a shop called Ark in the Arndale centre which I'd never seen before in Londontown but basically it's a hipster-inspired Bank Fashion. They're under the same company so the comparison is rather fitting. These are really comfortable and look amazing with trousers which is something I've found hard to find, in my experience. They were £29.99 which is an absolute steal considering they're kind of Givenchy dupes. (It makes me so sad that I am too poor to avoid dupes indefinitely.)

TV

In the nature of saving the best until last, I welcome you to what I've spent this whole month doing: I AM OBSESSED WITH AMERICAN HORROR STORY.
 I've been recommending it to everyone and their Aunt Mabel and I am completely hooked. I love how each series is wrapped up by the end because episode after episode of angst and dragged out plot points is something I wish was skippable in every series. Despite being someone with no talent or expressed interest in drama/theatre studies, I always notice good acting and the cast of AHS are incredible! My favourite cast members are Evan Peters (unsurprisingly), Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson and my most-least favorite seasons go Coven, Asylum then Murder House which isn't even accurate because I love them all. I know I'm going to watch these over and over again, I have started to quote it in my everyday life and I am a walking example of this Jenna Marbles' video. In case you were considering watching AHS, there's only 13 episodes a season, the 4th season has just started AND it's Halloween month so why haven't you started yet???

Thanks a bunch for reading, tell me what you're loving this month in the comments or link me to your October Favourites posts!

Olivia xo

GLITTER FOR DAYS WITH BELISSIMO UK

If you read my blog or see me on a regular basis you will know that lipstick and I are like, really REALLY good friends. So naturally I jumped at the chance to try out some Belissimo Glitter Lips and here's what I thought of them!

The pot of glitter I received came with some cotton buds and some cute glue in a container similar to nail polish (the brush was really handy on application) in a little bag so the packaging department set us off to an excellent start.

First time round, I went straight in with applying the glitter, a move I now regret deeply. I made the collossal and tragic mistake of blotting my lips together whilst glittering my life away which left me in a sticky, messy predicament that I would advise avoiding. To do so I'd say the best way to go about applying is definitely doing one lip at a time- Glue. Glitter. Repeat. Luckily enough the pot comes with enough glitter to allow for plenty uneducated mistakes and so a second, more successful, attempt was made.

At first I was skeptical about the whole glue situation because unsurprisingly my mouth and glue are not really that familiar and I thought the glue would smell or taste weird. However, as the glue is water based it didn't smell or taste disgusting on my lips before I bedazzled them. I would definitely advise using a lip scrub of some form before application because I forgot to and think it would look smoother on the lips if I had done.

I also popped on some of my Lipstick Queen invisible lip liner pre-application to avoid bleeding/ feathering and so I didn't have a indistinguishable lip line. I was surprised by the lack of fall out there was as honestly I expected a shimmering hot mess of a mouth area but for the 3 hours I had it on for it didn't budge, smudge or make me look like I used a highlighter as a powder at all...The website says they last 12 hours and though I'm not sure I'd ever be wearing them for that long, longevity is always a bonus.

Considering how long-winded it is to remove glitter nail varnish I expected taking this off to be an issue but alas all it took was a makeup wipe and it was gone without a trace! I'm not sure what colour the one I got sent is as it doesn't have a shade written on it but from looking at the website I have a feeling it's Gilded Peach.

Overall I was really impressed with the product and I now know exactly where to turn for inspo for my next fancy dress makeup. I saw the pop up stand in Topshop when I was in Manchester and reckon one of the darker shades would look banging for a Halloween look. Dress up aside, my sister even said that she thinks they are still subtle enough to wear clubbing! 

You can purchase Glitter Lips here and if you'd like to know more you can find Belissimo on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!

Thank you for letting me give these a go, Belissimo!

Olivia xo

MAC X RIHANNA VIVA GLAM 2

Everyone loves a lipstick that is so wrong but so right...right?

Introducing VIVA GLAM RIHANNA 2

 

If you read my blog, you will know that I'm a massive fan of colour pay off. As a result, I don't tend to dabble in the sheer end of MAC lipstick finishes and so my only experience with a frost finish prior to buying this was Angel, which is a lovely standard baby pink. Therefore, when I saw the PR surrounding this new Viva Glam release and read that this shade was a frost finish I expected a potentially streaky, sheer, lackluster attempt at a funky mauve shade- I still wanted to give it a go but expectations were pretty low...Boy was I wrong. 

This colour is as opaque as 100 denier tights after two swipes and is so badass. It gives dimension to the lips and is a slate grey (that when photographed with flash it comes up gold-ish) with hints of mauve and tons of other good stuff that makes it impossible to pinpoint what colour it actually is (my favourite quality in a product).  I wouldn't say it's duo chrome but it has an intense metallic effect that's to die for. The finish is one that has given me a really hard time trying to find the words to define the term frost in the context of lipstick without the aid of Google. I have no words to describe it other than frosty- if you give or have given this or angel a go you will (hopefully) know what I mean. 

Viva Glam rihanna 2 is like an eyeshadow colour for your lips and I would say it's definitely one of the most non-standard colours MAC have come out with. As someone who constantly wonders who it was that decided that eyes were allowed to have every colour under the sun applied to them but forever forbid cheeks and lips from the luxury, it is right up my street (if you couldn't already tell). It's great to have added an extra-terrestrial-esque lipstick with MAC's trademark quality that I love so dearly into my collection. Also, the fact that all the money generated from the sales of this lipstick goes towards such an amazing cause wins the Olivia Williams award for most justifiable purchase ever.

I know at first glance some people would see this as a shade to reserve for Halloween and fancy dress occasions only but I have already snuck this into my everyday makeup looks quite easily. I find it really compliments my makeup rather than drawing attention away from it. Admittedly, it is a bit of a strange colour but nowhere near as 'out there' and crazy as the shade range that NYX Macaroon lipsticks offers, for example. 

The lady in MAC told me this lipstick is sticking around for a year which seems like ages but I already feel as though time is running out and I need to pick up a back up ASAP, I'm THAT in love with this. 

Oh and did I mention that when I open the box I swear I hear a choir of Angels rejoicing; the matte red packaging is 10/10.

Overall: I highly suggest you pick this up, this lipstick is heavenly. If you've seen the hype around this release and are worried it won't suit you or is outside your comfort zone etc. I would say get it and if you don't like it, you have donated to a great cause and have a solid Halloween lipstick for life- everyone's a winner. If you have never even worn makeup before, get it. In fact, I would suggest that every human in the world should get it, it's that good.

You can buy this lipstick here and here you can find out more about the cause it's all for.

WELL DONE RIHANNA AND THE TEAM OF AMAZING PEOPLE BEHIND THIS LIPSTICK, IT IS BANGING.

I hope you enjoyed this review. What are your thoughts on the lipstick?

Olivia xo