Recently I have just got back from the States (hence the lack of posts or atleast that's what i'm blaming) and while I was there I picked up three shades from the new Color Sensational Creamy Mattes range which has yet to be released in the UK, hopefully they will actually release these here because Maybelline brought out out the Color Whisper range in the US that I really wanted to try more of and that actually never ended up coming to the UK which was a huge disappointment. I will say that I feel like they take far too long to bring their merchandise over the pond, get it together Maybelline!

There was no logic when picking up the three shades I got, I didn't have any particular colours in mind if i'm honest I just picked up the ones that looked as though people hadn't tested them on themselves and then put them back on the shelf. Side note that is a pet peeve that's why we have testers people. The only shade I had heard of prior to buying these was 'Daringly Nude' I have seen someone on Youtube use it before and I remember it looking nice I just don't remember who I saw use it.. It could of been Amanda Ensing.

With that said the three shades I picked up were 'Lust For Blush', 'Daringly Nude' and 'Craving Coral' I really am kicking myself for not going back and picking up more of this range because now I think about it Maybelline might decide not to bring these to the UK and I should of got more shades while I had the opportunity.


The basic shape of the packaging itself is the same as most of the other lipsticks from Maybelline however the acutal casing is a plastic matte mauve colour with the chrome bottom and lipstick surrounding which is nice looking, nothing spectacular but it looks tidy and well put together.

The price point of these lipsticks is definitely a plus, compared to the normal retail of Maybelline lipsticks here in the UK which is around the £6.99 mark (please note this may vary from different retailers) I got these beauties for $5.89 which converted into pounds for UK readers that is around £3.92 depending on the exchange rate. With that said I think all of us UK residents can agree that this is undoubtably depressing, think of all the extra lipsticks we could buy if they were all that price! Nevertheless like I said, price point (US) is definitely a bonus.

When applying these lipsticks they all went on smoothly, I do have terribly dry lips at the moment from cold weather so my lips aren't too even and are a bit rough, for this post I decided not to do close up swatches of the lipsticks on my actual lips as they are in need of some serious hydration. Two layers gave me my desired opaqueness, I found one layer to be slightly lacking as I wanted optimal colour payoff, I don't find these to be one swipe and you get crazy pigmentation, a minimum of two layers is required in my opinion.


I got a good seven hours wear with one touch up after a meal during the day and considering these are matte lipsticks I didn't expect any colour transfer but I discovered when drinking from glasses that they did slightly. Considering I already had dry lips to begin with upon trying out these lipsticks (bad timing to try a matte range) they definitely didn't make my lips any dryer than they already were, compared to my Maybelline Color Drama Lipstick which makes my lips feel a tad dry during the course of the day.

As an added bonus when I removed the lipsticks with a make-up wipe they had not stained my lips.
In conclusion I would say I am a fan of this range, like I said I wish I had picked up more but fingers crossed they will come here, I have scoped around online and can't see any expected release dates for the UK.

If you are a US reader I found these lipsticks at Walmart

Christmas is the time of a year for a bold red statement lip, I have picked a few favourites from my collection that are my top picks for this year.

Vaseline 'Rosy Lips'
Okay technically this isn't a lip colour, more of a lip treatment.. However over Christmas here in the UK it's cold and you have to keep your lips hydrated, the Rosy formula gives off a very light colour payoff, if like me you already have semi-pigmented lips then this just enhances your natural lip colour almost looking like you have a sheer lipstick on.
Find online here

Revlon Matte Balm in 'Standout'
If your looking for a non-drying, long lasting matte formula then you will find it in the Revlon Matte balms. The shade standout is a super pigmented cherry red perfect for this season.
Find online here

MAC 'Russian Red'
I know there will be a LOT of MAC lippy hoarders out there that are bound to have this staple matte lipstick in their collection already. Unfortunately for me the formula of this lipstick is a little too drying for my lips, but it's still a Christmas appropriate lip that i'm sure a lot of people love!
Find it here

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kate Lipstick '107 Wine'
This lipstick is my favourite shade for this season, this deep wine colour is a little on the vampy side for Christmas but still festive. Again its a matte formula but what can I say, i'm into mattes! There is less colour transfer, they are longer lasting and sure they can be a little drying sometimes but these trump a glossy finish for me anyday of the week.
Find online here

I haven't done a "favourites" post in a long while, this month I had a few little gems that I have been really loving and wanted to share with you all.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit
I have wanted the Contour Kit for a while now but it has always been out of stock on Space NK when I wanted to get it, I was on the Sephora website last month and noticed it was back in stock, without hesitation I added it straight into my basket, I didn't want to chance leaving it to return another day and it be out of stock again.
I am still experimenting with the Contour Kit but so far I am loving the top left shade "Vanilla" for setting my under eye concealer and in particular the shade "Fawn" in the middle of the bottom row, this is my perfect contour shade, it's not too orange and not too tan, I just find this gives me a natural "shadow effect" to my cheeks where I can blend this upwards on my cheek bones and it doesn't look like i've applied a blatant line of bronzer to contour my face.
Still in stock, but I warn you they sell fast! Find it here

Moroccan Oil - Moroccan Oil Treatment
As it is fast approaching winter here in the UK, and the colder weather is drawing in, my hair is starting to show signs of distress with my serious dry ends, I do have my ends dyed blonde and this also does not help but I have found that my Moroccan Oil is helping my ends look healthy again. After I have showered and I have towel dried my hair I like to apply maybe two pumps of the Moroccan Oil to my ends and massage it in. I then blow-dry my hair as normal and once my hair is dry I can immediately tell the difference on my ends as opposed to the days when I don't use the oil, they immediately look healthier, shinier and a lot less like hay.
Find it here at Feel Unique.

Maybelline Brow Drama
This product is actually a rediscovery for me this past month, I have used this before but like most things it get tossed in a drawer and forgotten about. I dug this out in November and have been using it non stop. Maybelline call it a "sculpting brow mascara" but for me it's just a tinted brow gel, as brow gels go, I haven't tried any others but I hear the Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel is also very good. This brow gel gives light colour payoff which is fine for me as I fill in my brows anyways, I just like using something to set them with and this ticks the boxes. When I set my brows with this product they don't go hard and "crispy" as some brow gels can do, it just nicely holds all my hairs in place for the duration of the day, the wand also allows for super easy application.
I also did an in depth review on this product earlier this year, check that out if your interested (link)
find online here

MAC Cosmetics Amplified Lipstick - Red Balloon
Yet another rediscovery, I picked this lipstick up earlier on in the year and loved it. Last month I wore it for a night out and was reminded of how much I enjoyed this lipstick when I first got it. It is an amplified formula so the colour pigmentation is amazing and the longevity is also pretty decent. Most people go for darker lips during the autumn/winter but I don't think I suit those kind of colours, I much prefer reds and pinks against my skin tone.
If you want to see swatches of this shade see the link here where I swatched this lipstick alongside two others.
Find online here

Bite Beauty Matte Crème Lip Crayon - Léché
Finally a completely new brand that I tried out this past month, Bite Beauty's products really intrigued me so when I got my Contour Kit on Sephora I picked up one of their Matte Crème Lip Crayon's to try. Described as a dusty rose the shade Léché is a really great everyday shade for me, it is incredibily pigmented and the matte finish does not leave my lips feeling dried out. I managed to get almost six hours wear from this Lip Crayon which is impressive by my standards.
I also like the idea of a "Crayon" style lip product, it applies really easily to the lips with the small rounded end, sometimes lipsticks can be a bit fiddley I find.
Do you have any of the Bite Beauty products? I would love to know what other must haves from their range are, and I will definitely be needing more shades in the Matte Crème Lip Crayon line in the future.
Find it online here

Hope you enjoyed reading my November Favourites, I would love to know what your favourites have been this month, or have you done a post of your own? Feel free to drop me a comment.
Also I got a new camera this month so i'm making a conscious effort to get up more posts on a regular basis!

It's safe to say the hype over these lipsticks has been huge, the anticipation over the release of these has had me more excited than any other make-up launched this year.
I was able to pick up two shades to swatch and review on my blog today, I wish I could of picked up more but my bank balance wouldn't allow me to do so, however when payday comes around i'm almost certain i'll be grabbing more shades as i'm seriously impressed with the two I have now.

Anita

Firstly let's start with the packaging, that sleek matte black packaging Nars is known for with the glossy logo right round the casing. To top it off, the closure is magnetic which I just think is so classy and really completes the lipstick for me.
But it's not all about what's on the outside, for these lipsticks it's definitely about whats on the inside! In comparison the two shades I picked up are fairly similar but both individual in their own right.

Anita is definitely my favourite shade of the two, on my lips I almost think this shade brings out a hint of coral although it is described as a "antique rose" it is a warm shade with a satin finish that is super moisturising on the lips which is what you need for the up and coming colder weather in the UK. I think Anita is a nice everyday Autumn shade, I can definitely pull this off at work without it looking too bold.

Now Anna really surprised me when it arrived I was expecting this shade to be more of an everyday nude but it's actually a lot darker than I had realised (that's what you get for ordering online) nevertheless I really do like this shade especially for Autumn. Described as a "smokey rose" which I would agree with, maybe some mauve in there? Again with a satin finish. I also think that this shade would really compliment someone with a tanned complexion.

Nars really hit the nail on the head with the formula, so nourishing on the lips and both shades provide a nice opaque layer of colour, they are very pigmented and neither required lipliner as feathering was not an issue which is often found with heavily pigmented lipsticks but not these ones.
I managed to get five hours wear from both shades before reapplying which I didn't find too bad as I had ate and drank in this time. These lipsticks do transfer but I guess that's to be expected when it comes to a satin finish.

In conclusion i'm really impressed, they have everything I look for in a lipstick and like I said I will definitely be picking up more! Are there any shades you have or any that are on your wish list? Let me know!

Find online here at Space NK for £24.00 each

It's been a minute, between work, holidays and a tad bit of laziness I haven't posted in a while.
I picked up a couple of new things from Lush this week and wanted to share what I got.

I am always on the lookout for a new scrub, the more abrasive the better! I like to feel all that dead skin getting scrubbed away, am I weird? I have tried the Ocean Salt face and body scrub by lush and I did enjoy that one but like I said i'm always on the lookout and I like to try new ones so I picked up the Rub Rub Rub shower scrub as I am not much of a bath person. Doesn't it look just like a slush puppy?
Not only can you use as a face and body scrub but you can use this in your hair too which is said to add shine, my hair is always looking limp and lifeless so I can't wait to try that out.
Find this online here for £8.75
This stuff smells delicious! If you are one for sweet scents then you will like this conditioner. With ingredients such as vanilla and strawberries I can't wait to put this in my hair. When I use conditioners I mainly apply to the ends of my hair as they are the driest so I hope using this will leave my ends soft and shiny as stated on their website.
Find online here - I picked up the 100g size retailing at £4.50

If you enjoyed reading my mini post about my Lush purchases you can check out one of my older posts on Lush Cosmetics here.