Unearthing My Make-Up: Shopping The Stash Vol.2

I was delighted with how last week's Shop The Stash went. I used some of the products from last weeks post every time I did my make-up, it really is a great way to fall in love with your make-up products all over again.

Now onto this weeks products!

My eyeshadow base of choice is going to be Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin. It's a great base but I often pass it over in favour of the Original or Eden.  I also want to get some more use out of MAC Paintpot in Genuine Treasure. It can be a bit patchy and does require a little effort so that's why it is often forgotten about. Eyeshadow wise, I am solely going to use the Urban Decay Naked Palette. I have a wonderful neutral MAC palette which I tend to grab instead of this. Also when I lived in America last summer, this palette contained the only eyeshadows I had with me so after such continuous use I think I just automatically go for other shadows now for a change!  I have chosen to use my Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Bourbon. A fabulous colour but I nearly always end up going for black. Definitely need to mix it up a bit!

Cheek wise I want to use MAC Creme Blush in Ladyblush. It was my first ever MAC blush but I've leaned towards powder blush as of late. I also want to use MAC Crew Powder, I haven't used it nearly enough.

On the lips is going to be Revlon Colourburst Lipgloss in Strawberry, it's definitely pigmented enough to wear alone. YSL Rouge Volupte in Lingerie Pink and NARS Turkish Delight Lipgloss.

And that's this weeks stash picks!

NARS Trouveille

NARS Trouveille is a real proper bubblegum pink. Trouveille is my first polish from NARS. I found the formula okay to work with although the bottle was a bit strange!

I’ve worn this polish quite a bit this summer. It’s a nice go-to pink.

NARS Eyeshadow Duo: Kuala Lumpur

 Kuala Lumpur is my second NARS eyeshadow duo. I really like their eyeshadows, they are very soft, well pigmented and blendable.

Melon, Plum

The 2 shades in this duo are a melon coloured one and a light plumy mauve.

I’ll be honest, when I first applied this, I didn’t think it was a duo that I would use entirely by itself but more likely in combination with any number of other shadows.

However, as the day wore on, I found that I really like the combination of just those two colours. Kuala Lumpur creates a light daytime look but because of the purple shades in it, it is different to your average neutral eye look using browns and taupes.

Sorry the last 2 pictures are kind of blurry. I was rushing out to work when I took them and didn't realise it until I uploaded them.

To get this look I:

• Placed UDPP in Original on the lid.
• Used Mac paintpot in Nubile all over lid.
• Used the Melon shade of the duo on the lid and past crease.
• Used the Plum shade in the crease/outer corner.
• Maybelline Gel Eyeliner was applied to the upper lash line.
• Finally YSL Faux Cils mascara was used.

I will of course still use the duo with other eyeshadows but I now feel happy to wear it solo as well. 

NARS Eyeshadow Duo: Kalahari

NARS Kalahari eyeshadow duo is a beautiful duo made up of two satiny taupe/brown colours.

They work very well together but I found that you can really alter them depending on what base you apply them over. 

If you apply them over Mac's paintpot in Bare Study or Nubile they remain quite true to colour. However, if you put them over Mac's Genuine Treasure or Benefit's Sippin n' Dippin you can really make the colours pop.

I found that it is a surprisingly versatile duo and not just more neutral shadows

As for the shadows themselves, I love them. They are very smooth and easy to apply with good colour pay-off. They are also long-wearing. 

For the eye look below I used the duo with Mac's Nubile as I wanted to show the shadows in their truest form.

Do you like NARS eyeshadows?

A Few Current Favourites

I've built up another few items that I have been using continuously over the past while, so I thought I would put together a little post for them.

First up is my my Chanel Coco Rouge Shine lipstick in Boy. I got this about a month ago and you can see a full post on it here. 

Boy is a beautiful everyday, mid-tone pink. I would consider it to be a 'my lips but better' kind of shade. I will wear bright lipsticks during the day but when I just want a simple look that's easy to do on the go, I reach for Boy.

An eyeshadow look I've being using a lot since I got it, is the Nars Kalahari duo. It has two beautiful taupe shades that have quite a glistening sheen to them that stop them from being boring. I layer this over either Mac Nubile paintpot if I want to keep the colours completely true but I also wear it over Mac Indianwood or Genuine Tresaure paintpot to really make the colours pop.

For cheeks, the combo I've been wearing the most is Mac Immortal Flower blush, which is a light peachy shade, and Mac Skin Finish in Superb layered lightly above the blush on the cheekbone. It creates the most beautiful glow on the skin and still looks natural. I have gotten so many compliments when wearing this combination. 

Something I rediscovered is the Mac Chromographic eye pencil in NC15/NW20. It is a peach or flesh toned eyeliner that is ideal to use on the lower waterline to help open up the eyes. I sometimes use a white pencil but this one is definitely more natural. It does make a noticeable difference to your eye make-up so I don't know why I forgot about it for so long! I was delighted to start using it again.

A skincare item that I have been loving is the Themal Spring Water spray by La Roche-Posay. I spied it when I was getting my moisturiser and even though it's probably just normal water it feels so good on your skin. I tend to use it before I put on my moisturiser both morning and night. It is really refreshing and I feel like it gives my skin that extra hydrating boost. 

On to some favourites that aren't make-up/skincare related.

First I have The Body Shop Deep Sleep Mist. I have had a lot of trouble sleeping lately and wanted to give this a try to see if it helped at all. It smells gorgeous and contains Jujube date extract and Camomile as well as other essential oils. I just give one spray over my pillow before I get into bed and surprisingly it has made a difference. You can find yourself relaxing and nearly being lulled into a soothing sleep by the scent. It may not work for everybody but I definitely found a difference. Give it a sniff anyways:)

My next favourite is my Kindle. I got this for Christmas and I have read so much more than I would have, without it. It is so handy and light just to pop in your handbag and bring with you. It hasn't stopped me buying books because I love the feel and the smell of books and some books I just like to have an actual copy of. So happy with the Kindle though, will be great for travelling too!

Finally, we have my cat scarf from Awear. It has cats on it, enough said.

Payday Goodies

I managed to do a bit of splurging over my last two paydays. My nail polish buying ban has resulted in me buying too much make-up. I just can't win. And the nail polish ban should be lifted on Friday (only 3 more untried polishes to go!) but I already have a list the length of my arm of polish I need to buy. Oh well.

Onto these goodies. Mostly bought from House of Fraser.

All Together

Soleil Tan de Chanel

I've being lusting after this for a while and with Summer on the way, it was the perfect time to get it.

I can't help but laugh

Mac SkinFinish in Superb

This was the only thing I wanted from the Extra Dimension collection.

Mac Immortal Flower Blush

This was part of the 6 piece Tres Cheek Mac collection. Some gorgeous blushes in the collection but this stood out to me the most.

Top-Bottom Patina, Stars n' Rockets and Sable.

Nars Eyeshadow Duo in Kalahari

I love the 2 Nars eyeshadows singles I have and I thought this duo looked beautiful

Mac 214 shader and 208 angled brush

Some Swatches!

L-R Tan de Chanel, Superb, Immortal Flower, Patina, Stars n Rockets, Sable, Kalahari duo.

And the Mac Hey Sailor Summer collection is being released in a few days. Oh dear.

Some Blush/Highlighter Hybrids

When I was gathering my highlighters for this post, I realised I have a number of products that are too blush toned to be considered true highlighters, yet have enough of a sheen to be much more than a blush. 

L-R MAC MSF in Redhead, NARS Illuminator in Orgasm and Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Pink Quartz.

This is what I call my hybrids. Sometimes I use them over a blush to give that extra oomph and other times I just use them alone to give a slight colour but to also highlight. They can be a quick go-to product.

L-R Redhead, Orgasm, Pink Quartz

MAC MSF in Redhead: This was a MSF that I heard a lot about and when it was re-released with the Naturally collection this year I made sure to pick it up. Made up of a trio of shades, it creates a soft, bronzed toned red with a strong sheen.

NARS Illuminator in Orgasm: This is my only liquid highlighter. It is quite golden toned and has a satiny finish.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Pink Quartz: Probably the most pigmented hybrid. There is a lot of browns in it but a light sweep will create a glowing effect.

Do you have any of these types of hybrids? Any further recommendations? 

See The (High)Light

L-R Bourjois Highlighting Powder, NARS Albatross, Benefit Moon Beam, Benefit High Beam.

I love highlighters. I think they give a great glowing and fresh effect and are a simple and quick addition to finish off your look. They really add definition to your cheekbones, even if you don't contour.

I have four 'proper' highlighters (I'll be showing some blush/highlighter hybrids in a later post) 2 powder and 2 liquid. I don't really have a preference for either formula but if I'm in a rush I'm more inclined to reach for a powder as I feel it's quicker to just it sweep on.

The swatches didn't work out too well in the photo, I probably should have drawn lines between them!

L-R Benefit High Beam, Benefit Moon Beam, NARS Albatross and Bourjois Highlighting Powder.

Bourjois Highlighting Powder: This is the yellowest of all my highlighters. It has a beautiful golden sheen and I feel it works best when I have a tan, so I'm more inclined to use this in the summer or on a night out. Sometimes it is just slightly too powdery.

NARS Albatross: This is definitely my preferred highlighter of the 2 powers. It is a white highlighter, so it is great to use when my skin is at it's palest. It has a high shimmer tendency so you need to be careful not to apply it too energetically or it will look ridiculously obvious.

Benefit Moon Beam: This is another golden toned highlighter. It's very glowy and pretty. I find the liquid highlighters good for using under the brow arch, in the inner corner of eyes and on the cupid's bow. I find they work better there than the powder highlighters.

Benefit High Beam: This is a pink toned highlighter, definitely more cool toned than the other highlighters. It does have an intense sheen, so this is another one that you may need to go easy on.

Do you wear highlighters? Which is your favourite?

NARS Lhasa Eyeshadow

NARS Lhasa is an eyeshadow released with NARS's  Spring/Summer 2012 collection. It is my second eyeshadow from NARS and I have to say they are fast becoming a favorite of mine. Brilliantly pigmented and buttery soft, they are definitely worth the extra money.

Lhasa has being described as a lilac tinged taupe and as soon as I saw it I knew it would be a perfect all over lid colour. 

I'm strictly an at least 3 eyeshadow colour girl (lid, crease and highlight) and the more I can include the better. But I was on the hunt for a colour that I could just sweep on and be done. Lhasa, I knew would be up to the job.

Here's a few photos of it in action.

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden was used as a base. other than that, it's just Lhasa.

I've being so enamored with Lhasa that I've being wearing it alone like this since I got it but I'm certain that it will look fantastic with any number of other shadow combinations. 

Do you like NARS eyeshadows? Any recommendations for me?

Collective Haul: February 2012

This month was a fairly heavy buying month mostly, nail varnish.

Most of the make-up items that I got were earlier in the month and were featured in this post.

My excuse for all the nail vanish you're going to see?....new collections and they ALL called to me. What's a nail polish addict to do?

China Glaze Electropop collection. The 'Lights' part.

                           

L-R Fuchsia Fanatic, Dance Baby, Electric Beat, Kinetic Candy, Sweet Hook and Gothic Lolita.

Most of the OPI Holland collection. I absolutely adore this collection and I think I'll get the final 3 as well. I've never being more in love with a collection.

L-R I Have A Herring Problem, Dutch Ya Just Love OPI, Pedal Faster Suzi!, Red Lights Ahead...Where?, Did You Ear About Van Gogh?, Gouda Gouda Two Shoes, Thanks A Windmillion, I Don't Give A Rotterdam and Vampsterdam.

Some miscellaneous nail varnish I picked up.

L-R Butter London Trout Pout, OPI Bikini Envy, Venus di Violet, Fly, China Glaze pull Me Close and Magnet, Essie A Crewed Interest, Go Overboard, Navigate Her and Van D'go.

And I still managed to pick up some more make up stuff!

L-R Bioderma Créaline H2O, Boscia Black Mak, Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, Nars Eyeshadow in Lhasa and Maybelline Falsies mascara.

Phew! That was way too much spending this month. Definitely not buying much for the next few months!

Some Current Favourites

I haven't done a Favourites post in months. I started doing them when I first began my blog because it seemed like the thing to do. However, I found that I wouldn't have always have favourite each month so I prefer just to do them when I feel there is things that warrant a place in a post like this.

There has been a few things that have really stood out to me in particular this month, both beauty and non-beauty.

First up is non-beauty. I spied this new Extra Strawberry chewing gum a couple of weeks ago and decided to try it out. It's been years since I tried any fruit flavour chewing gum. 

I think an overload of Juicy Fruit when I was about 10 kept me away from it. Besides I love a really strong fresh, minty chewing gum so I never felt the need to try a fruit one again. Anyway, on a whim I got these and I love them! They taste good. Not exactly realistic but not ridiculously artificial either. 

I then decided to venture out and try the Extra 5 in Flood which is berry flavoured. Again these are really nice and they make your handbag smell great lol! But yea, I've found these great for when you're craving something sweet. They help to hit the spot:)

Second favourite is a Tropical Topper from Juice. This particular one is mango frozen yoghurt with pineapple and kiwi. It tastes so good, you really feel like you're getting a treat. They're also surprisingly filling so they are great to have during a break at work. And they are really low calorie, only 197 in this one, much better than snacking on a chocolate bar! I'm also partial to the Berry one:)

First make-up favourite is my MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Redhead, applied with the 129 brush. This gives such an amazing glow to the skin. Sometimes I wear it alone but I also wear a light dusting of it over my blush and it adds a great extra dimension!

My new Shu Uemura eyelash curler. I honestly didn't think it would be as good as I hoped but it was! It makes a big difference to my lashes and in turn to the application of my mascara.

NARS eyeshadow in Galapagos. This gorgeous coca brown with gold shimmer has being responsible for smoking out my everyday neutral a lot this month. It's a very buttery soft eyeshadow and applies lovely.

My final favourite for the month is this Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose. It doesn't apply as strong as it looks in the pot but it does give enough colour to look red. Perfect for daytime if you don't want to rock a full red lip.

What items have you being loving lately?