I would be a hypocrite to say that I haven't started thinking about Christmas already... In fact, I am being a hypocrite in implying that I have only thought about Christmas when I have actually started buying Christmas presents! You may call me eager, maybe even crazy but I like to call myself organised. And guess what? It isn't just me who has that Christmas shopping list on their mind, others do too as shops have started releasing their Christmas collections and gift sets and I happen to have come across a spectacular, and adorable, find from Dior... ladies, Christmas has come early.


Dior have released several Christmas gift sets and one immediately took my notice. Being a young lady who is still on the hunt for the perfect mascara, I had always heard such great things about the Diorshow Iconic Overcurl mascara but had always put off spending £24.50 on a mascara... until I saw this set.

The set costs £24.50 and includes the full sized Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara plus a miniature neutral eyeshadow palette. The palette is absolutely adorable and probably too small to do anything with but it is essentially a free gift with the mascara and is a lovely and beautiful item that would be great for collectors or anybody who loves a miniature sized makeup item!

Have you got your eye on a Christmas set?
Rarely do I stick to an actual mascara, I am the kind of girl who always has several mascaras on the go (see Mascaras on Rotation). It may be due to my fickleness with eye makeup or the fact that I am on a constant hunt for the ultimate mascara (aren't we all?!) but for the past month I have been loyal to one old time favourite and a new discovery. 


The Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum is a lash primer that coats the lashes to thicken them and also has fine fibers to lengthen the lashes. This has been a long time favourite of mine to give that false lash effect for evening makeup as I am utterly useless with falsies. I followed my primed lashes with the Natural Collection Water Guard Mascara which I picked up on a whim due to its brilliant price of £1.99 and I have to say I do like it. It is certainly a mascara that creates volume  but doesn't do much to lengthen lashes - which is why I pair it with the primer. The mascara doesn't flake, smudge and is quite the b**** to take off in the evening. The result? Thick, full lashes that last through the long day and the rainy trip home.


Which mascara have you been wearing recently?
  Dior have recently released their new tinted lip balms, accompanying this release were four new nail polish shades and two of them immediately caught my eye... For a week I could think of nothing but those nail polishes and had to go back into town and pick them up because I really haven't seen such beautiful, complex yet neutral shades for such a long time. Plus, they are definitely perfect fall colour polishes.


Dior nail polishes in general are fantastic formulations, they have a thick brush that covers the whole nail in one coat, a thick and opaque coverage which means that these are super easy to apply and perfect with just two coats! Yes, I love and am almost exclusive to affordable nail polishes but as I mentioned before, these shades were too beautiful to pass up.

Spring 798 is a very neutral purple with grey undertones to it. This may seem like a very ordinary shade however this colour has the perfect balance between grey and purple as all the other polishes are grey with a "hint" of purple or are essentially just purple. The subtly complexity of this shade is stunning and must be seen in person and I am struggling to find a dupe for this perfect blend of dusky purple balanced with a neutral grey undertone. It is a classicly understated nail with an edge.

Diorette 988 looks like your typical berry shade however it, again, has a subtle complexity to it. It is a deep berry with neutral, slightly brown, undertones to it which makes it much more wearable and incredibly on trend as it is a modern take on a 90's red. I find that this is an elegant, slightly mature take on the classic berry shade and as it is more neutral it matches a larger array of colours and tones than other berries which lean either red or purple and will therefore clash against certain tops, coats, lipsticks etc. Just like the shade Spring it is chic, classic yet still undeniably edgy and beautiful.

As these are quite complex shade, they haven't translated as well on camera and have come across more muted and neutral than they do in person.

  
What have you been wearing on your nails this Autumn?
As soon as the Diorskin Star Foundation reviews started trickling in, I knew that this would be a hit, it may have been due to the good reviews or simply my own intuition. To say that I was right about this foundation would be a great understatement; it surpassed my expectations of it and blew me away and after having tried as many foundations as I have, that is a very difficult thing to do.


Diorskin Star Foundation
This new foundation claims to brighten and provide a luminous, long lasting complexion. 
When I first applied this foundation, I blended it into the skin and looked in the mirror and thought "where is it?! I have to put more on!", but then I saw that any redness had been covered and my skin tone was uniform. The same evening I had a few too many drink and slept in my foundation (it happens to the best of us) and in the morning my skin was a glowing and flawless vision. 
The second time I wore this foundation I headed downstairs to meet my mum, she asked me whether I was ready, to which I responded yes.... she followed this by asking "well aren't you going to wear any makeup?". At first I thought, hmm, maybe this foundation isn't so great but it proves how natural this makes skin look as she thought that all I had on my skin was some glowing moisturiser. 
What can we learn from these first impressions? This foundations provides a smooth and even coverage to the skin (medium to high), it provides a very natural, satin complexion that actually does last throughout the day. It has swiftly become my favourite foundation of the year and maybe even of all time.

Oh and let's not forget the best part, this foundation provides an SPF of 30 so is perfect for day wear but it can also be worn in the evening as it doesn't flash back, perhaps due to their chosen SPF ingredients or due to their "innovative" silica beads which, instead of reflecting light (flashback), absorbs and diffuses the light to give a "halo" effect and I can attest that it does look very "lit from within".

Diorskin Star Concealer
Due to my love for the foundation I decided to pick up the matching concealer. The concealer is very similar to the foundation in texture, it blends beautifully and provides enough coverage for dark marks, spots and under eye circles. I really do rate Dior concealers and this is no exception. The only problem? The shade range sucks - only three in total. If you loved the foundation and struggle with finding a great concealer I definitely recommend checking this out. 

Diorskin Star Backstage Blender
Another rival to the Beauty Blender? Perhaps. I am a huge fan of the Beauty Blender and nothing has beat the original, in my opinion. The Beauty Blender is a sponge which you use damp to blend your foundation flawlessly into the skin so that it melts and becomes one, the effect it creates is truly exceptional. These are pretty big shoes to fill by Dior but it starts out as a completely different product as you use the Backstage Blender dry. This is, actually, much more practical because I always am too lazy to run back to the bathroom to use my Beauty Blender (my time in the morning is precious!). Firstly, this isn't a dupe for the original Beauty Blender as the way you use them are different. 
The Dior Backstage blender is not a finishing tool but an alternative to using your fingers to blend or a brush. It does press the foundation into the skin, giving it a very natural finish without sheering out or absorbing any of the product. It works with many different foundations and is great at creating a natural finish and picks up any extra product so you will never end up with a cakey complexion. I think it is a great and practical product that provides a great finish and always keeps the skin looking natural. 


            No Makeup                                      Diorskin Star Fouundation (only)                   Diorskin Star Foundation and Concealer 

Did you love the Diorskin Star range as much as I?
Any time Mac brings out a matte lipstick, you better believe I will be purchasing it! Mac Mattes are among my favourite matte formulations out there, they aren't too creamy (so that they keep that incredible longevity) yet aren't drying or uncomfortable on the lips. As soon as I saw that the Matte Lip Collection had dropped, I dropped my cash just seconds later.


The Matte Lip collection consists of the regular matte formulation, I purchased five shades ranging from light, neutral to deep and dark. Every single lipstick has the quality matte texture of the permanent line and are all opaque with excellent colour pay off as seen in the swatches below.


The shades I purchased are (in order of the lip swatches below): Pander Me, La Vie En Rouge, Damn Glamorous, Fashion Revival and Living Legend.



If you're interested in any of these shades I recommend you run to your nearest mac retailer as these are quickly selling out online! Trust me, you won't ever regret a matte lip purchase!

What are your thoughts on the new collection?
Following the YSL Fusion Ink Foundation Review I thought I would bring to you some of its very similar sisters. These do differ slightly in price and performance so if you love the liquid to powder texture and finish but aren't sure which to get, hopefully this will narrow down the search.


Disclaimer: Armani has a similar foundation as well but from popular consensus the Armani was the original and these new versions are an improvement upon it.

YSL Fusion Ink Foundation (full review here)
The YSL Fusion Ink Foundation is, in my opinion, the best performing of the trio. The reason why? Because it is the most long lasting and clings the least to dry patches. It doesn't keep oil completely at bay and is the highest coverage of the three. It is great for those who want a perfected, long lasting base.

Lancome Miracle Air De Teint (full review here)
Even though the YSL is the best performing, this Lancome is my personal favourite. This version is quite refined in texture so look much lighter and diffused on the skin. It is a light to medium coverage so doesn't pack as much of a punch and it isn't particularly the best lasting foundation but in terms of the way this makes the skin looks, it is divine. I love this for easy days where I need to pop into town, have a short day at university or am going it for lunch and drinks with friends as it doesn't need to be particularly long lasting but looks so natural and beautiful on the skin.

L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint
This, being the cheapest, is the "dupe" version for the above options. If you want to experience the texture of these foundations and don't want to shell out £30+ then the L'Oreal is an excellent dupe. This version is of course not quite as refined as the Lancome but has the exact same liquid to powder texture and is incredibly long lasting! Not quite as long as the YSL but it is much longer lasting than the Lancome foundation. I would say this is almost a hybrid of the two... my only gripe is that this really does enhance any dry areas of the face and clings on to any dry or flaky areas be sure to prep the skin thoroughly with a great moisturizer or a smoothing primer.


     YSL Fusion Ink Foundation                     Lancome Miracle Air De Teint                    L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau De Teint

Have you tried any of these foundations? 
What were your thoughts?
Are you ready for a rave? 

I think that upon first glance of the photo below and the fact that each one of these was paid for with my own money, it states the fact that I love these eyeshadows. L'Oreal have always delivered in the eyeshadow department (one word, Infallible) so when they released a new line of eyeshadows with multiple finishes, I had to get my hands on them.

I started out with three shadows and then instantly fell in love. These are all incredibly creamy eyeshadows that blend so beautifully. They are almost a hybrid between an eyeshadow and a pressed pigment.. in fact I dare to say that some of these are pressed shadows (Nude, Pop and Smoky). The shade selection is incredible and there are some really unusual and interesting colours in the collection. The only complaint I have is the packaging, two of my shadows have fallen out, yes they press back in easily but it is a faff and it means you have to be delicate with them. Other than that? These are excellent and I can not recommend them enough. Texture, colour, application, longevity and price is all on point. If you are looking for a new eyeshadow or love to collect them then immediately leave the house and hunt these down because you will have no regrets. 

Have you tried these new shadows? What's your favourite shade?
New in at the drugstore are two shades from the Rimmel Kate Long Lasting Lipstick Colletion. The shades 30 and 31 are stunning Autumn shades that are bold in colour but are slightly muted so are very wearable for every day.


The shades are both berry with neutral undertones, one is warmer and the other is cooler. A berry for each preference! We all know and love the Rimmel Kate lipsticks which are a comfortable, quite traditional lipstick that isn't matte nor glossy. The formula for these lipsticks are no exception and are the same quality as can be found in the rest of the collection. 

If you love the Kate Moss Lipsticks or simply love a berry then I would certainly recommend you check these out as they are certainly the perfect Autumn accessory. 


What's your favourite berry lipstick?
The reviews came in one large wave with this one, many ranging from "the best foundation ever", "innovative new foundation" to "too matte", "similar to others on the market". After realising that this was quite similar to the Lancome Miracle Air de Teint Foundation (review here), I wasn't too fussed about purchasing this and trying it but the 24 hours claim kept ringing around my head and the added longevity was all that the Lancome had missing... I bought it and tested it in the name of research...


As I suspected, this isn't as "innovative" as the campaigns suggested. We have seen this very thin, liquid to powder texture from previous brands starting with Armani and then L'Oreal, Chanel and Lancome and more recently Laura Mercier.

Let us start with the texture, it is an incredibly light liquid formula that blends out to a thin, powdery finish. I wouldn't say it feels invisible on the skin but it does feel light. Even though it does set to a powder, it doesn't look matte or flat. Instead it leaves a velvet finish that looks very natural. The coverage is definitely medium and can slowly be built up to full coverage. However, if you attempt to apply a lot of this at once it simply won't blend and set on the skin, so light layers is the approach you want to take in terms of building up the coverage.  As you can see below, the foundation has done a very good job at unifying the complexion, covering any redness and dark marks. The finish is a very soft powder that translates as a slightly diffused look on the skin and also on camera. The slightly blurry appearance it has on camera makes it hard to photograph but certainly does show what a lovely finish it provides on the skin.


There is no denying that this is a lovely foundation but one thing did stand out to me... how oily I felt. Now I didn't look oily in the first few hours of wearing this foundation, keeping its long wearing velvet finish claim. As the hours wore on (this was a 16 hour day), the foundation didn't flake (although it does cling onto any dry patches), migrate or suddenly disappear. My blush was visible for many many hours... and it is usually the first thing to disappear from my face. Around the 14 hour mark, the foundation wasn't looking all too great but it was still there! The longevity of this foundation is fantastic however the long lasting matte claim I do not buy as oil had definitely broken through and I was most certainly looking oily at the 6+ hour mark. 

Overall - this is a medium to high coverage foundation that veils the skin in a soft powder. The foundation itself is long lasting however you will have to powder throughout the day to keep oil at bay. The only person I wouldn't recommend this foundation for is extremely dry/flaky skins as it will catch but normal, dehydrated and combination skin will like this foundation as it doesn't completely "set" and keeps some slip so is very comfortable on the skin throughout the day.


Have you tried the YSL Fusion Ink Foundation? What were your thoughts on it?
I have been long awaiting the arrival of the Maybelline Colour Elixirs since I heard Estée mention them. These are not a "new" item in the beauty realm but they certainly are new to the UK and moreover, to me. The drugstore has been going gaga for gloss and I have of course tried and tested every new release they have thrown at us, so let's see how these compare?


On first sight we could say that these are packaged quite similarly to the Dior Fluid Sticks. The pigmentation of these are nice but they are not a high-pigment lacquer and lean more towards the glossier, slightly sheerer side. They are quite a thin in texture and on the lips they feel somewhere in between a gloss and balm. Regarding the texture I would say that these are almost a hybrid of the Dior Fluid Sticks and the L'Oreal Extrodinaires in that they have the light weight feel of the Dior but the  slightly cushiony feel of the L'Oreal. I would not put these in the lip lacquer department but I would say that these are perhaps the best gloss release that we have seen. If you love to sport a glossy pout then I would definitely recommend trying these as they do feel beautiful on the lips and are a much cheaper alternative to the Dior Fluid Sticks.

The shades in the collection do run from neutral to vibrant and they do have a wonderful selection of colours to choose from. I would say to swatch the shades first as they can look different in the tube than on the lips. I did find that the darker shades slightly stained the lips however I do feel like the selling point to these are the texture and lasting power of the gloss.

The shades I have are: Nude Illusion, Rose Redifined, Alluring Coral and Fuchsia Flourish

TLDR - These are a balm textured, slightly cushiony gloss that provides a nice pigment without being too bold. They are a comfortable, long wearing gloss that I think would please most people.

I have to say, I am impressed and think that these do rival a lot of the gloss releases from earlier this year.


Have you tried the Maubelline Colour Elixir Lip Lacquers?
So Fashion Weeks has been and gone and we are all exhausted from staring at the perfect model's faces wondering... how? How? Well, a healthy diet and lots of water can do some of that job but the rest can be left to Dr Perricone and his wondrous No Foundation Foundation - it really is that good.


The Perricone No Foundation Foundation is expensive for something that could be described as a "tinted moisturiser" but it is so much more than that. This is a tinted moisturiser, essentially, and on first application ir isn't anything spectacular but the magic happens once this sets.

On first application it is an extremely dewy and tinted cream that comforts the skin... I remember the first time I applied it I thought oil slick and then didn't try it for weeks after. But recently, I rummaged around my collection and thought I would try it out again and wow am I glad I did. This is a "foundation" that will set to an ultra natural, your skin but dewier finish. It doesn't look shiny or oily but just fresh and healthy so is great for all skin types, especially lackluster skin. The coverage also somehow increases when it is set, on first application it just gives a tint of colour to awaken the face and not much coverage but once set it somehow transforms into a very light coverage that doesn't necessarily cover the skin or any problem areas but somehow veils and smoothes over them to unify the skin and make it look naturally flawless.

This isn't a magic product - that doesn't exist. But, it is pretty darn good, especially if you love that no-makeup makeup look. It isn't packed with coverage but will just make your natural skin look the best it possibly can. I can not get enough of this, it has now become an every day off-duty favourite. Can you tell I love this stuff? It also claims to have skincare properties in it which I cannot say do or don't make a difference as I do swap my bases fairly regularly but it does mean that you aren't covering your face with something bad for you and you may even get better skin with regular use of this! As it isn't the cheapest I recommend going to get a sample at Space NK or asking them to apply it, make sure to wait a good ten minutes before judging it and once you do you will see that it is better than any other tinted moisturiser you have tried... plus it is Eva Mendes' favourite  and that girl has got gorgeous skin!

Have you tried the Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation?
Autumn is in full swing, the Pumpkin Spice Lattes are in at Starbucks and the leaves are falling - yes, these are the signs of autumn. With that comes a little bit of a make-up switch up where the colours and tones we adorn our faces with change from orange-corals to russet reds. However, we all know the drill with autumn lips and I didn't want to put yet another "Autumn Reds" post out there on the blogosphere so I am taking on eyeliners and the best hues to en-capture the beautiful tones of Autumn.


Jewel tones have always reminded me of Autumn and Winter, any rich and deep colour will look beautiful on the eyes but I also think that any rusty or antique golds, even rose golds brighten the eyes and almost translate those autumn leaves shades. All of these shades will suit any skin or eye colour as they are deep, they won't wash out any eye colour out but will make them pop.

The Edit:

Revlon - Aubergine, Mac Powersurge, Yves Rocher - Cuivre, Mac - Undercurrent and Kiko - 29.



Now that it is Autumn, what shades have you been wearing on your eyes?
Long time no see, I know I have been incognito on the blog but I am back and with a vengeance! I have so many posts to write, photograph that I don't think I will see a lie-in for the foreseeable future. To get us back in the swing of things I have a review of the new Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains.


Revlon have released their take on the cult Glossy Stain but how does it compare to the original YSL? Is it worth running to Boots for?

Their range has a nice variety of shades varying from cool to warm tones (most seem to be warmer in tone). I picked up six of the shades they had to offer so that I was able to see how the lighter and deeper shades perform. All but one of their shades (London Posh) are shimmer free so are non irritable on the lips. Below are swatches of the shades I purchased from lightest to darkest:
London Posh, Milan Moment, Miami Fever, Barcelona Nights, Shanghai Sizzle and New York Scene.


As you can see from the initial swatches, the colour is quite opaque and has a slightly jelly finish with a high shine. On the lips the colour translate the same with the same pigment, shine and finish.

London Posh, Milan Moment and Miami Fever

Barcelona Nights, Shanghai Sizzle and New York Scene

The texture is quite thick in comparison to the YSL Glossy Stain yet it feels comforting on the lips, the thick texutre allows it to stick onto the lips so that will last longer than your average gloss. The texture is not sticky or tacky but somewhat creamy. It is quite unique as most of the other lipgloss stains have a more watery or oily texture so this is great for those with dry lips as it feels comfortable plus doesn't enhance any flakiness. 

The longevity is where I am really going to be judging these as all of the gloss-stain hybrids on the market have incredible pigment, are comfortable and perform beautifully as a gloss. Some do leave a distinct stain on the lips after wear and some just are long-lasting glosses. The lighter colours don't leave much, if any, of a stain. The darker shades leave a slight stain. I would say that these are most long-wearing rather than a stain, which, as they claim to be a stain is disappointing. Below is a picture of the stain after the swatches have been removed with a towel.


Are these worth rushing out for? Well, they aren't groundbreaking. They are disappointing in the sense that they don't provide much of a stain but apart from that they are really nice products. I would recommend these for perhaps drier, more sensitive lips as all shades (except London Posh) contain no glitter and they are thicker and more comforting than its counterparts on the market.

My favourite shade, especially for this season, is New York Sizzle as darker pigments are tricky to get right in terms of formula but this is excellent, it isn't patchy and wears beautifully.

My least favourite shade has to be London Posh, this one was disappointing from the first swatch, it is gloopy, patchy and the glitter is quite rough on the lips. The formula was a huge miss with this shade.


What are your thoughts on the Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stains?

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