MUA Undress Me Too eyeshadow palette

I have MUA's Undressed palette and have used it that much some of my favourite shades have hit pan so when they released the Undress Me Too palette I had to buy it.

I like that there is a mix of pearl and matte shades that not only can be used as eyeshadow but also as eyebrow colours. Excuse my messy looking palette in the photo above!

On this palette the shades are named which makes creating looks a little easier. I'm not sure if these colours are going to be introduced to MUA's Fashionista fill your own palette range, it would be great of they did as I do have a couple of firm favourites already.

The shadows have quite a smooth texture and glide on my lids easily. The pigmentation is also really good but I haven't used the matte colours, I much prefer the pearl finish shades. I found that they also lasted the majority of the day but they do crease a little.

The palette is £4 so your can't really go wrong compared to some other 'nude' palettes this one is so affordable and I wouldn't even consider buying the others as I don't think the quality would beat this one.

This is available from MUA online and Superdrug stores. 

Review - MUA Every Lash Mascara

I picked up this mascara a while ago in Superdrug as it looked like a dupe for Revlon's Grow Luscious (amazing) mascara but for a fraction of the price.

The brush is a reasonable size which gives good definition and separates the lashes. I found it hard to build up the product and to volumise my lashes.

The mascara is a good black colour but I have to admit that it the best thing about this mascara.

During the day I do have a habit of picking my mascara off but when I started to attempt to pick this off it was like something I've never experienced before. It was like plastic. I did managed to get a bit off and it reminded me a bit of bin bag plastic. Then I tried to remove it properly and boy it didn't want to come off. I tried everything but it wouldn't budge. In the end I had to pick it off.

For £3.00 I wasn't expecting the world but I did expect more that what this actually was. I would not buy this again and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It is probably one of the worst products I have ever tried, and I've tried a lot!

Haul - York and Leeds Part 1

If you read my previous post you'll know I've recently been to York and Leeds and of course I did a spot of shopping and here is what I bought in York.

Paperchase

Pens - 60p each

Recipe folder refills - £1.75

Lush 

Mask of Magnamity - £4.95

Poundworld

Elegant Touch nails - £1 each!

Yorkshire Soap Company

 Bath Bombs - £2.50 each

Bomb Cosmetics bath bomb - £3.50 (approx I've lost the receipt)

Soap mouse - 40p

Cupcake bath creamer - £2.30 (again approx)

Boots

Smashbox Try It Kit - £19

Tweezerman pointed tweezers - £19.50

Botanics hairband - £4 (approx price)

Primark

Hair masks - £2 each

Topshop

Knickers - £4 each or 3 for £10

Eyeshadow palette - £7

Green glitter nail polish - £6

 Grey nail polish - £5

Eye liner brush - £4

Superdrug

Palmers Cocoa Butter cleansing gel - £3.95 (currently on offer at £2.63)

Witch Primer - £6.99 (currently on 3 for 2)

Deep Pore Nose Strips - £2

Garnier Moisture Match face cream - under £2.99 (was on offer, is currently £5.99)

MUA blushers - £1 each

Lakeland

Potato peeler - £1.79

Big Softy Dusting Cloth - £1.79

Piping bags - £3.99

Piping nozzles - £1.29

Walls Ice Lolly tin mug - £7.99

Part 2 of my haul will be up tomorrow!

Review - MUA Matte Perfect Foundation

Remember when MUA had their half price sale on? Well this was one of my purchases. I have trouble finding foundations which give a matte finish so for a whole pound I thought I'd try this one.

It comes in three shades: fair, natural and almond and I got natural.

The shade is a really good match for me and the product itself I really like. It is quite a light coverage so is good for summer time daytime wear. I found that after wearing it all day my face did look a little shiny towards then end of the day so powder applications is essential but overall for the money you can't go wrong.

This is £2 and available from Superdrug or MUA Online.

MUA Kiss Proof Lip Stain

I had never used a lip stain before, all the ones from other brands seemed to be too bright but this shade from MUA seemed to be more up my street.

I bought Fabulicious and it is a pale pink shade. You simple paint onto your lips and let it dry. I found it dries my lips out a little but my lips were stained pink for most of the day. I think if I was out I would have to reapply to top up the colour but I would apply a gloss over the top to try to add a bit of moisture to my lips and it might even make the colour last longer too.

There are 3 different shades of lip stain available from MUA and they are a purse friendly £3 each.

MUA Cover & Concealer concealer wand

I had high hopes for this concealer wand by MUA. I had hoped Cover & Conceal was going to be like Collection 2000's Lasting Perfection concealer but I was a little disappointed.

The concealer wasn't as thick and the shade was really pale. I got Almond but it was really light and didn't blend with my normal foundation at all. For covering blemishes this would be ok to use for as I normally use under my eyes to cover my dark circles it had little impact on hiding them.

For £1.50 it's not too bad and I have used worse which cost alot more. Personally I'll be sticking to my Collection 2000 concealer.

MUA Matte Perfect loose powder

I always use pressed powder on my chin and forehead to try to keep shine at bay but had never used a loose powder. I seem to think that it won't work as well as not as much will be applied to my face. Well anyway I decided to try out a loose powder and decided on MUA's Matte Perfect powder.

This is quite a large pot so I imagine will last a long time. I normally tip some of the powder onto the inside of the lid and use a kabuki brush to apply to my face. I found that the results didn't last all day and I would have to reapply whereas with a pressed powder I normally only apply once in the morning.

For £2.30 you can't really go wrong but it's a faff having to carry around a brush with you and there's no mirror on the pot so reapplication isn't easy.

I don't think I would buy again as I much prefer a pressed powder.

Review - MUA Matte Perfect Primer

I got hold of this primer when MUA were holding their 50% sale so it was a perfect opportunity to grab a few things I'd been wanting to try out.

I love using primers and my face doesn't feel right without using one first.

As I suffer with combination skin which can get oily I need something to try to keep shine at bay. 

This primer is a nude colour and is a bit like a gel in consistency. When I applied it, it smoothed on my skin easy and left it feeling soft and smooth. It dried quickly and my foundation applied over it nicely.

It didn't dry my skin out and my foundation stayed put all day.

This is £4 and available from Superdrug or MUA online. 

Review - MUA Professional Eyes Eye Primer

I'm really into primers at the moment especially as I don't have the time to constantly re-do my make up. I ran out of my usual Benefit Stay Don't Stray and have been trying to find a cheaper alternative when I came across this for a mere £3 in my local Superdrug.

This is a little more watery than Benefit's product but I think for the price it's just as good. It isn't as heavy but it does the same job. My eyeshadow and concealer stayed put for a long time, ok so yes I did have to re-touch once during the day but for £3 I'm certainly not complaining.

Have you tried this? What did you think? Do you use another primer, what would you recommend?

MUA Pro-Brow kit

Benefit probably do the most famous brow kit in their Brow Zings brow shaping kit but at £22.50 it's not cheap. So when MUA released their Pro-Brow kit at a mere £3.50 we've all been snapping it up. As I'm writing this is it out of stock on the MUA website.

I had been waiting to buy it off the MUA website as no Superdrug near me sold it but when I popped into Superdrug in the next town to mine I saw a brand new spangly MUA stand which sold everything so of course I snapped this little beauty up.

You get two shades of brow colours, a highlighter, wax, a pair of mini tweezers and an applicator brush.

I gave the tweezers away straight away as I never stray away from my good old faithful Tweezermans but when I decided to use it properly I found that the brow shades were a little off for my hair colour. The darkest colour which by looking at it is the closest to my brow colour but on application it has red pigments which don't match, the other was far to light. I think I need to play around to get a good colour match. But once shaded in my brows lasted all day.

For the price of this kit I am quite impressed but I need to play around with it a little more but first impressions are good!

As I've already mentioned this is £3.50 and available from Superdrug and MUA. 

A year of nail polish - September

Rimmel - Stormy Skies

MUA - Love Hearts

Bourjois

Models Own - Mirrorball Disco Inferno

My current favourite products - June 2012

This is another post showing my current favourite products. I only blogged about my last ones in April but I've already found quite a few new products that I love and will without a doubt be repurchasing.

Batiste dry shampoo in Lace - £2.99 

I remember buying my first can of Batiste dry shampoo way back in 2006 when I was heading off to uni and I never looked back! I use it at least every other day as a freshen up for my hair as I simply don't have time to wash it every day. The new Lace fragrance is gorgeous and the design on the can would look fab on anyones dressing table.

No7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser - £9

The name of this product intrigued me - the idea of melting my make up away really appealed to me so I got this with a £5 off No7 voucher and it didn't disappoint. It removed make up really well and is gentle on the skin. My full review can be found here.

Vaseline Aloe Fresh Moisturising Gel - £4.99

I bought this last year initially to use during the summer months as it would be a lighter consistency to a body cream or lotion and when we had that lovely few days of baking hot weather a few weeks ago I dug it out and started to use it. It's not as moisturising as a body lotion but it still does a great job. This is also available in cocoa butter.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - £8.99

After much deliberating about whether to try this or not I decided to take the plunge. It's coverage isn't as heavy as I normally like but it's perfect for wearing during the day as it gives your skin a natural radiant glow. Full review here.

MUA Love Hearts lip balm - £2

At first I wasn't that impressed with these, I bought 3, but I've grown to really like them. They are a coloured balm that are really very moisturising and these generous sized pots will last ages. Again my full review can be found here.

Collection 2000 Gel Eyeliner - £4.99

This is the tiny little black pot in the photo above. I was a little apprehensive about this as I love the Maybelline gel liner but the Rimmel one was disappointing. To my surprise I actually think this is the best one I've tried. The pigmentation is good, it's long lasting and the brush shape is really good. I'm going to blog about this in more detail very soon!

Miss Sporty Clubbing nail polish - £1.99

For the price this is amazing. The quality is good, it's long lasting, the pigmentation is good, the brush is good, in fact buy it to try it and I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Are any of these your favourites or have you got different ones?

Battle of the...smoky eye palette

I've been using Bourjois smoky eye palettes for a couple of years now and love them, they make creating that perfect smoky eye so easy to do but at £7.99 they are a little on the more expensive side but then MUA brought out their own version of the Bourjois palettes.

The MUA 'smoky eye' palette costs a mere £2.50 and looks practically the same to the Bourjois ones.

In fact these are so similar the only sight downside is that the MUA shadows are slightly less pigmented than the Bourjois ones but as these are a third of the price then who can complain?!?

Overall I prefer the pigmentation of the Bourjois shadows but as there is such a difference in price I would buy the MUA palettes as you could get three MUA palettes for the price of one Bourjois smoky eye palette which in my eyes makes it an out right winner.

Have you tried either of these or have you found another smoky eye palette that you'd recommend?

Review - MUA Love Heart lipbalms

These MUA Love heart lip balms have been out for quite a while but I've only recently had chance to use them properly.

These are available in 5 shades and I bought 3 of them: sweet kiss, kiss me and sugar lips.

I was actually quite impressed at how pigmented they are as some other products like these don't show up on your lips at all. They are also really quite moisturising and even though I felt like they did sit on your lips a little my lips felt lovely and soft afterwards.

These little pots are quite big so these should last ages and at only £2 each they are such good value for money.

They are available from MUA online.

Review - L'Oreal Studio Secrets fibre lash primer

Has anyone else noticed that recently there has been a little bit of a boom in products being released that have in fact been out on the market years before? Well anyone remember the white lash fibre type products which were big about 6 years ago? Well L'Oreal have released one of these as a part of their Studio Secrets range.

I loved these products first time round, and yes I'm aware that there are still a few of these being sold now where you get the white primer and the mascara in one. My favourite product was by Bourjois and I was really sad when it then was discontiued but I never really looked for others until I stumbled upon this little beauty from L'Oreal.

You just get the white lash fibres, which act as false lashes to give maximum volume and length, as you can team it with your favourite mascara. The brush is the same as a normal mascara one and you just apply to your lashes before mascara.

(Left eye with the primer, right eye without) 

Once applied you wait for it to dry before applying your favourite mascara.

(Left eye with primer and mascara, right eye without)

You have to make sure you give a good coat of mascara as you don't want patches of white showing through!

(Both eyes with lash primer and mascara)

As you compare the photos I think you'll agree that the lash primer does add length and volume to lashes and then when mascara is applied you end up with amazing looking lashes!

The lash primer is available from Boots in the L'Oreal Studio Secrets range for £10.29.

Oh and I used Maxfactor False Lash Effect mascara and my eyeshadow is from the MUA Glitter Ball palette. 

My current favourite products

Over the last two months I have found a number of products that I simply love and thought I'd show you them in one post. There is a mixture of cosmetics, skincare and haircare.

Clockwise from top left:

Kleenex eye make up removal wipes - £2.99

A quick and easy way to get ride of eye make up at the end of the day and doesn't dry your skin out.

MUA Heaven and Earth palette - £4

A cheaper alternative to the Naked palette with a shade for every occasion, it's quickly becoming my most used palette in my make up collection.

Hello Kitty eyeshadow palette - No longer available, was £8

I've only used two colours in this eyeshadow palette, the third and fourth on the top row, but I love how pigmented the colours are. It's a bit of a shame this is no longer available.

Collection 2000 Cream Puff in Cotton Candy - £2.99

I don't go for pink lipsticks but that fact that this is a matte product appealed. You can build up the colour to how pink you want to go and I use this at least once a week.

Bourjois Flower Perfection foundation - £11.99

Simply the best liquid foundation I've used in years. Leaves your skin matte and lasts all day long. Amazing.

Organix Brazilian Keratin therapy flat iron spray - £6.99

As you've probably guessed this is organic and contains the moisturising ingredients cocoa nut oil and avocado oil as well as cocoa butter and keratin protein to help strengthen the hair. This smells amazing and my hair is left feeling lovely and soft once dry and styled.

Maxfactor mini polishes (colour shown Hot Pink) - £3.99

I love these polishes as for the same price as some 'cheaper' brands you get a much better quality product. I also love that they are quite dinky because who really ever gets to the end of a nail polish bottle? I have about 10 of these polishes.

Nivea Pure & Natural face cream - £5.10

A light cream that absorbs quickly and leaves your face feeling matte and is the perfect base for foundation.

Do you love any of these products or what would you recommend to try?

A year of nail polish - March

Maxfactor - Purple Haze

MUA Love Hearts - U R Fab

Massive make-up haul

I recently had a massive haul of make up and cosmetic products so I've decided to put it all on one blog post and include swatches too. Oh by the way this post contains a lot of photos.

Boots

L'Oreal - Buy one get second half price

True Match minerals foundation - £14.99

Studio Secrets lip glow - £8.49 (or £4.24 with the offer)

Studio Secrets mattifying primer - £10.29

Studio Secrets lash primer - £10.29 (or £5.14 with the offer)

Soap & Glory It's About Prime eyeshadow primer - £8.00

Too Faced Lemon Drop Shadow Insurance - £16.50

Collection 2000 Cream Puff in Cotton Candy and Fairy Cake - £2.99 (2 for £5)

Maxfactor False Lash Effect mascara - £10.99

Maxfactor False Lash Effect Fusion mascara - £11.99

(Maxfactor was on 3 for 2 so I for a £10.99 mascara free)

Collection 2000 Cream Puff swatches Cotton Candy and Fairy Cake 

Maxfactor Max Effect nail polishes - £3.99 each (on 3 for 2)

Shades: Prussian Blue, Hot Pink and Purple Haze.

MUA

Love Heart collection

Lip Balms and nail polishes - £2 each

Nail polish colours are U R FAB and U ROK.

Swatches: Sweet Kiss, Sugar Lips and Kiss Me. 

Eye palette trio in Eden - £2.50

 Eye palettes - £4

Pretty Pastels, Glitterball and Starry Night

 Swatches: Pretty Pastels 

 Swatches: Glitterball

 Swatches: Starry Night

Sorry that the swatch photo's aren't very good, I took them at night and I couldn't get the light right.

So that was my haul and I think I have enough eyeshadow and mascara to last me a life time! March is going to be another spending ban month, oh but I have ordered a few things from Avon...oops!

Like always let me know if you've tried any of these and what you think and link me to your haul posts!