#TheSOproject Week 5: Blusher!

Last week's Starting Off Project post was a bit of a 'mare for me since I don't use bronzer (if you haven't had a read of my unmissable (!) tips yet you can catch up here), so I was happy when I checked the schedule and this week was blusher week.

I've always been a big fan of a rosy cheek.  In my teenage years slightly too much of a fan - think big pink doll-like circles - but blusher has remained something that I tend never to leave the house without, along with foundation and mascara. Make sure that when you apply you blusher you aren't smiling and applying it to the apples of your cheeks like off of the 80's! Follow the natural line of your cheekbone.

As I favour such a matte finish to my make up, if I don't put a little bit of colour back into my cheeks, I risk looking like a corpse. To brighten up my cheeks I always use either a powder blush or a cheek stain.  Cream blushes are out of the question because I feel as though they slide around my skin by the end of the day...and they remind me of old women.  I can't even explain why they remind me of old women, they just really do.  I also find cream blush incompatible with the powder I use to set my make up - at no point does it seem like the correct step for it to be applied!


As luck would have it I posted a couple of weeks ago about cheek stains and why I think they're wonderful - you can have a read of that post here, but in summary my favoured stain is Cheekmate by Soap and Glory, and I like to apply it with my ring finger. It stays put for ages and it's a lovely rosy shade.

My recommended powder blush is MUA Blusher in the shade Lolly which is £1.  It's described by MUA as being 'soft orange' but I think it's more of a rose pink.  It's a matte blush, which I favour because I don't like shiny cheeks, and it applies beautifully with my Real Techniques Contour Brush. 
I honestly don't think you could tell once it's on the cheeks that it only costs £1, and now that MUA have changed the packaging and it's a little sturdier I'm even happier.

(Lolly: I can't even describe how far away this is from the actual shade. Sadly mine is too grotty to show)

If you're after a slightly more extravagant cheek then I also really like Clinique's Fresh Bloom All Over in Peony Blend, which is a highlighter as well as blush, but is really subtle and pretty. Unfortunately it's £26 so I haven't been abled to justify repurchasing it just yet.

 

Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoyed week 5.  Next week is Mascara week - follow me on Bloglovin to make sure you don't miss it! I'm genuinely excited to write mine and to read everyone's recommendations cos I loooooove mascara!

Suzy
xx

 

Sunday Spending Spree

I've been such a Moaning Myrtle this week; if you follow me on twitter you'll have been subjected to my woes all week while I've been in bed with gastric flu. I've felt much better this weekend so I decided to treat myself to a little pick me up:  Yesterday I went wedding dress shopping with my mum (more on that in my wedding series!), and today I went to the Trafford Centre with Adam armed with my list of things I wanted.

Mac Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NC30

I mentioned on my September wishlist post that I've wanted this for ages and I'm really excited to try it. My skin has been super oily lately and my foundation hasn't been lasting too well so I'm definitely up for trying something different. Currently trying to resist taking off my make up so I can put it on.  So tempted!
This was £21.50 in Selfridges.

Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation in Light Porcelain

If you have eyes you can't have failed to notice how hard Rimmel have been trying to flog this new foundation; countless tv adverts, magazines, and promotions in Boots/Superdrug.  Normally I resist such determined marketing at all costs, but I'm so taken in by matte products that I had to buy it.  I know.  I'm ashamed of myself too..!
I will potentially live to regret my colour choice, but the Ivory shade came out alarmingly orange on my hand so I went for the lightest shade.  If all else fails it's nearly Halloween!
Stay Matte is £5.99 in Boots and Superdrug.  I bought it as part of Superdrug's 'buy one get one half price' offer.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Peach Glow
Stay Matte Powder was my 'get one half price' in the aforementioned offer.  I honestly haven't used this since I was about 16 so I'm interested to see how it does.  I only bought this because Superdrug were sold out of my favourite power - MUA's Matte Perfect Loose Powder.
Full price this is £3.99. 

VO5 Refresh Me Quick Dry Shampoo

Best dry shampoo ever.  And half price at £1.72...YAY!


MUA Nail Polish In Plum Noir
I posted here about how much I love MUA's £1 nail polishes and I thought this shade was absolutely perfect for autumn.  It's a beautiful rich purple and i'm going to use it with my new favourite topcoat - Barry M's All in One Basecoat, Topcoat & Nail Hardener to give it a bit of extra shine and longevity.

Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Eau de Toilette 30ml
I've wanted this for about 2 months now, and now I have it I cant stop sniffing myself.  It may pose a problem.  I just smell tooooooo good! It's red plum & freesia and it's a sweet scent but with darker notes that are presumably the 'seduction' aspect of it.  I was really happy that Adam picked this one out of all the ones we tested, because I think it's yummy.  I decided to just buy this one for £11 today since I was buying so many other things, but next time I'm going to go for the 3 for £24 offer and get the body mist and a different eau de toilette too - there's so many amazing scents, I'm currently covered in about 10 different ones because I couldn't stop spraying!

So that's it for my little Sunday spree, I'll update with that I think of the foundations once I've given them a good test!

Have you tried any of these products?


Suzy
xx

 

MUA Review Series #4 Eye Primer

I'm really enjoying writing this mini series reviewing MUA products and if judged purely on views and comments people seem to be happy to read the posts, which is lovely – so on I go!

MUA fit in with my belief that make-up of a decent quality needn't cost the earth, and every budget product that I genuinely like feels like a proverbial slap in the face for the more expensive brands and their slick marketing teams who stick their label on a mediocre product and we all baa our way down to Boots to buy it - of which I have been frequently guilty.
That's not to say that I've loved every MUA product I've tried, however.

This week I thought I'd talk about a product I use most days: Pro Base Eye Primer. Since starting to wear eyeshadow pretty much every day, within the last year or so, I frequently experienced the nasty creasing and uneven wear that comes with the application of make up at 6.30am and my return home around 12 hours later. So I decided it was time for a primer. Because my morning routine didn't have enough stages already..!



I was quite surprised to have this one recommended to me by my high-end-makeup-loving colleague, as I've never seen her use anything lower on the food chain than Clinique. She in turn had had it recommended to her by the make-up artist she frequently uses for weddings and events, so the signs were promising.


As with most MUA products the packaging is no-frills, but it's functional and after around 4 months it still looks the same as the day of purchase. The primer has a doe-foot applicator, which needs to be wiped before use because it's a bit keen-bean with the amount of product it brings out, especially as a little goes a long way. It doesn't look dissimilar to liquid concealer; beige with perhaps a slightly more pink-tone. Unlike other primers this doesn't dry clear, or soak in - it leaves a subtle creamy colour on the eyelid. I know some people prefer primer to be undetectable but I like that it corrects the colour of my eyelids because I have quite obvious veins on them (or arteries.. I should have listened in GCSE science), and they are quite red, so I like the coverage it gives as it shows the colour of the eyeshadow more accurately. 


I pat the primer in using my ring finger, and give it around 30 seconds before applying eyeshadow. Happily it isn't sticky or tacky once dry and I feel like it gives a smoother base for my eyeshadow, which stops it sitting in lines. Without this primer I'm conscious that most eyeshadows  just don’t have the longevity for a full day at work, whereas when I pop some primer underneath it does last until 5pm-ish without too much difficulty. My eyeshadow certainly doesn't wear any worse than my foundation, which I can live with. This primer also performed remarkably well during the ridiculous heatwave in June/July, which was disastrous for the rest of my make up. Argh the memories...foundation dripping away..!



I don't doubt that there are several superior primers out there, and the Urban Decay Primer Potion is extremely popular, but at £15 for something that isn't a 'star' of your make up, it’s a pretty big purchase – although one I intend to make at some point. If you have a limited budget then i'd rather be spending more on mascara and foundation than on eye primer. MUA Pro Base Eye Primer is £2.50 from MUA or Superdrug, which is quite a bargain really.

 

I’ll be repurchasing this when it eventually runs out and if you’re on the hunt for a budget eye primer I’d definitely recommend it.

 

Which is your favourite primer? Is primer something you’re happy to spend a lot on?

 

Suzy

xx

 

MUA Review Series #3 1D Lipstick - Niall, 'Moments'

I mentioned in my Little Treats post that I'd acquired a 1D lipstick, and I've been using it for about a week now so I thought I'd let you know what I think of it.    I have no strong feelings either way about One Direction, and I'm 25 so definitely not the target market, but I absolutely love this little gem!

I picked 'Moments', which is Niall's shade, because out of the 5 I thought it would be the most flattering to my pale skin tone and because it is the easiest to wear for every day.  For work I want something I don't have to worry about bleeding or smudging and something I can quickly reapply without having to get a mirror out.

I have used this 6 out of 7 days this week and I love it. The neutral rosy shade is perfect for daytime and it lasts an amazingly long time. I'd say it stays put for 3 hours on me without needing to be touched up, which is better than my more expensive lipsticks. What I like best, aside from the pretty colour, is that it isn't drying on the lips at all.  The formula is really creamy and comfortable to wear and I'd say it does feel a tad more luxurious than the MUA £1 range.
Some cheap lipsticks taste and smell as though you're ingesting dangerous chemicals, or they smell like an elderly relative, but this doesn't have a strong scent at all.
The embossed 1D on the bullet is a nice touch, although it didn't last long. Considering it's a £3 product aimed at teenagers the packaging is okay.  It's not going to win any style awards but that's fine because the product itself is reeeeally good!  I'm definitely more enthusiastic about this lipstick than 1D themselves... i'm not sure that's what they were going for, but good work on the lipstick anyhow!

Have you tried the MUA 1D collection yet?

Suzy
xx

Little Treats!

As we're squirrelling away every spare penny for the wedding/honeymoon fund at the moment I haven't done a great deal of shopping lately. However, after finally plucking up the courage to go and trying on some wedding dresses (more on that soon), and a stinker of a week at work, I decided I deserved a little treat.

Or 4.

I've been seeing quite a lot of nail art posts on blogs and on Instagram recently  and despite having bought some tools earlier in the year I haven't really gone beyond dots yet. To be honest I'm not sure I have the capacity to go beyond dots - I can but try! So I ended up with a black nail art pen, confetti nail polish and a new top coat all from Barry M.

So far I've only tried the confetti nail polish, and have established it doesn't work on its own too dull and lumpy:

This leaves me a bit unsure when I could use it; perhaps one coat over a pale pink polish? Goodness knows.

I also ended up with a One Direction Lipstick from MUA - Niall's shade, which is called 'moments'. Now I'm 25..and not even a particular fan of 1D, but I didn't see anything odd about me making this purchase, until Adam looked at me as though I'd come completely mad and asked me in a rather derisory tone if I was really buying a One Direction lipstick. Err, yes?! 

I justified it because I liked the colour - it's a nice rosy pink colour ideal for every day.They had the other colours too but they were all a little bit extreme for me!

Barry M is currently on 3 for 2 at superdrug and the MUA One Direction lipsticks are £3 - bargain!

Have you tried the nail art pens or the MUA 1D collection yet?

Suzy

Xx

MUA Review Series #2: Matte Perfect Loose Powder

This week there was a clear candidate for review: the MUA Product I use the most.

Sadly with skin that is oilier than is convenient, I'm never going to be able to slap on some foundation and float off to work for the day looking dewy and ethereal, it's always going to be so-shiny-you-can-almost-see-your-face-in-it come lunchtime.  I've had to powder since about the age of 13 and now aged 25 I think I'm justified in feeling a little short-changed with the skin I have acquired.
I've gone through numerous different powders in search of the best option to keep my make up in place and limit the dreaded shine.  I concluded several years ago that pressed powders are not for me; they don't last long enough before reaching the bottom and cracking (packaging, not face), and I've never liked any I've tried - most notably Rimmel Stay Matte and No7 pressed powder which is that bad it deserves it's own post.

Now although loose powder is despised by my mother and boyfriend alike due to it's messy nature I am happy to overlook this for the finish it gives and the fact it lasts longer than a month before cracking and smearing it's contents over my make-up bag...yes, you again, No7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder.
For a while I had an extended dalliance with No7 Perfect Loose Powder: I like both the smooth finish and the sweet little packaging it comes in, but I do not like the price - £10.50.  Think on No7...it's essentially dust to put on your t-zone, and you aren't high end. While I'm on the subject, your mascaras are overpriced too.  There, I said it.

MUA Matte Perfect Loose Powder came into my life rather suddenly and without any prior research. Living life on the edge. Naturally suspicious of anything seeming too cheap to be true, I fully expected to be palming it off onto my freeloading student sister within a week. 
The colour despite purporting to be 'transparent' looked rather too dark for me and I feared orangeface.
As it turns out it really is transparent and it gives a smooth finish as good as any more expensive powder I've used. The staying power is average on me - I first apply around 6.30am and generally need to touch up my t-zone by 11am ish. I've never had a powder that has lasted all day so I'm happy with this. It doesn't give me flatface, or sit in my pores. The main ingredient is talc, so it has the potential to irritate, but I've had no issues.

MUA's description is as follows, and I can't disagree with any of it:
"Make-up Academy’s Matte Perfect Loose Translucent Powder is an extremely lightweight sheer and silky setting powder. This finely milled loose powder fixes your foundation in place, perfect for minimising oiliness and unwanted shine. The micro fine featherweight texture means that it never looks powdery or feels heavy over foundation. It disappears on the skin brightening up your make up whilst keeping it in place throughout the day."

The reason I know it's good is that my head is so easily turned by make up, yet I haven't even looked to buy any different powders. I've used it every day since buying it and I'm now on my 3rd little pot of it. I've recommended it to my sister and friend and they both really like it too. I'd say it lasts around 2 months for me, and that's probably with 2 touch ups during the day.

However, MUA, in case you thought you were completely home and dry, I do have a few gripes; packaging.
1)Firstly, I know it is cheap, but must it look so cheap?! A horrible white lid, with childish pink writing that rubs off rather too easily, is not something I want to get out to touch up in public.
2) Having oily skin, I need my powder to accompany me throughout the day.  As there is nothing to stop the powder coming out, every time I take off the lid there is a messy pool of powder sat looking at me on top of the sifter bit.  Would it really cost that much more to put in a little extra layer to stop that happening?  My aforementioned mother and boyfriend would be most grateful..!

Actually, I thought I had more gripes than that.  2 is pretty good going. Buy it! :)

MUA Matte Perfect Loose Powder is available from Superdrug priced £2.50 and MUA's website at £2.30.

Have you tried this? What are your favourite MUA products? I'd love some more recommendations!

If you missed #1 from my MUA review series you can catch up here.  

Suzy xx

MUA Review Series #1 :Frozen Yoghurt Nail Polish

 When packing to come to my parents' house for a couple of days I noticed that i've accumulated quite the collection of MUA products over the last couple of months, some of which have wheedled their way in to my basic daily make up routine and some that were relegated to my 'urgh' drawer almost immediately upon opening.

As i've found the brand to be a little hit and miss so far so I'm going to do a review series over the next few weeks to pick out the best and worst- they're only a bargain if they actually work!

 Theirs are pretty much the cheapest make-up products available on the high street in the UK - elf are affordable too but only available online at the moment and I can't help but want to swatch everything and clutch it in my little paws before I make any commitments to purchase, so I'm happy that they're available in Superdrug.

After reading that the brush had been improved, the packaging changed and the polishes were only £1, I made a

20 mile trip to the Trafford Centre (they have the best MUA stand locally), spending more on petrol than on nail polish. Logic.

The shade 'Frozen Yoghurt' caught my eye so home with me it came! I really, really love the colour, it's just so cheerful and summery. 

Formula-wise I wasn't expecting much given that its £1, but it's actually pretty good! The brush is a good size, it paints on really smoothly and it's opaque after 2 coats. Some might want to give it an extra coat but I'm of the opinion that life's too short for that!

 Without a top coat it lasts 2 days max on me, with a top coat; 5 days. That being said, any nail varnish chips on me like you wouldn't believe, even the higher end ones, so this is about average.

I find the packaging quite amusing as its such an outrageous copy of Essie's bottles, both are cute though! 

This shade is currently sold out on the MUA website, but is probably available in Superdrug stores - their stock seems to be a bit sporadic but go early in a morning and you should be okay.

I'd definitely recommend this colour and trying the £1 polishes in general. I didn't get on so well with the shade Pistashio as I found it more runny and difficult to apply, but there are several gorgeous options and its worth a go for £1!

Suzy x