What's New | MAC 163 Brush and Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

What's New | MAC 163 Brush and CLARINS Beauty Flash Balm..♥

How sad, I've saved this what's new post in my drafts for nearly a month now and I never got around to completing it until now.

Yes I know there are only two products in this post but I guess nearly every little beauty buy is worth mentioning right? Although the MAC 163 brush is currently sold out, the Clarins Beauty Balm is still available to buy. I have a feeling the MAC brush will be back in stock sooner or later as I've heard it's always in and out of stock but you have to keep an eye on the site as it is a limited edition brush!



MAC 163 Contour Brush

The MAC 163 brush came out with the MAC Face and Body Collection. It's a contour brush designed to be used with the MAC Sculpting Cream. The shape of the brush is really good for use on the cheekbones to achieve prominent face definition with either a contour cream or powder. After reading reviews of the MAC Sculpting Cream at the time of purchase, I decided not to get them (I was also unsure of which shade I'd use and I was too lazy to check them out in a MAC store). I am after a product with a cream finish that I can use to contour with. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Price: £26

Availability: MAC

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm



This is one of those products that there's so much hype around. I'd been contemplating buying it for a long time so when it finally went on a 3-day sale at CheapSmells for £13.99, I grabbed it as soon as I could. The product is a favourite of Tanya Burr (Pixi2woo) so I really wanted to see what it was about. It is said to be an instant radiance booster which gives a softer, smoother and healthier looking complexion. It also claims to "promote firmer looking features and reduce the appearance of fine lines and  "Enhances make-up's luminous appearance and lasting wear." Sounds appealing right?



RRP: £28

CheapSmells Price: £17.95



Did anyone manage to grab the MAC 163 brush?

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What's New | MAC 163 Brush and Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

What's New | MAC 163 Brush and CLARINS Beauty Flash Balm..♥

How sad, I've saved this what's new post in my drafts for nearly a month now and I never got around to completing it until now.

Yes I know there are only two products in this post but I guess nearly every little beauty buy is worth mentioning right? Although the MAC 163 brush is currently sold out, the Clarins Beauty Balm is still available to buy. I have a feeling the MAC brush will be back in stock sooner or later as I've heard it's always in and out of stock but you have to keep an eye on the site as it is a limited edition brush!



MAC 163 Contour Brush

The MAC 163 brush came out with the MAC Face and Body Collection. It's a contour brush designed to be used with the MAC Sculpting Cream. The shape of the brush is really good for use on the cheekbones to achieve prominent face definition with either a contour cream or powder. After reading reviews of the MAC Sculpting Cream at the time of purchase, I decided not to get them (I was also unsure of which shade I'd use and I was too lazy to check them out in a MAC store). I am after a product with a cream finish that I can use to contour with. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Price: £26

Availability: MAC

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm



This is one of those products that there's so much hype around. I'd been contemplating buying it for a long time so when it finally went on a 3-day sale at CheapSmells for £13.99, I grabbed it as soon as I could. The product is a favourite of Tanya Burr (Pixi2woo) so I really wanted to see what it was about. It is said to be an instant radiance booster which gives a softer, smoother and healthier looking complexion. It also claims to "promote firmer looking features and reduce the appearance of fine lines and  "Enhances make-up's luminous appearance and lasting wear." Sounds appealing right?



RRP: £28

CheapSmells Price: £17.95



Did anyone manage to grab the MAC 163 brush?

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What's New | Sigma F88, Lancome Teint Idole Ultra, Maybelline BB Cream, Body Shop Tea Tree Range

What's New | Sigma F88, Lancome Teint Idole Ultra, Maybelline BB Cream, Body Shop Tea Tree Range..♥

Aside infrequent posts, I also haven't done much makeup shopping recently but I thought I'd show you the few things I have added to my collection though some are repurchases.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil

After taking a liking to the Tea Tree Blemish Night Fade Lotion, I wanted to try more from The Body Shop Tea Tree range. If you're subscribed to receiving emails from The Body Shop, you will know that they're always sending discount codes or having offers. At the time they were having an offer where if you spend over £5, you get free shipping and 30% off your order so I decided to make use of the discount code and purchase. The oil can be used as a massage oil, in your shampoo, in your bath, in your makeup cleansing solution and is also meant to be good for blemished skin. It is one of their best selling products so I'm interested to see how well it works.

Original Price: £6.50 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion

This is a repurchase. If you have not already seen my review on this product, click HERE. 

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation

I did decide to repurchase this foundation as it has quickly become one of my favourites. I stuck with the shade #11 which I had been using before as I tried #10 again and I didn't like it. I'm sure many of you have already read my review on it but if not, click HERE to read it.

Maybelline Dream Fresh 8-in-1 BB Cream - Deep Sheer Tint

So lately there's been this whole hype about BB creams. At first I never really took interest because there seemed to be a lack of colour range amongst brands. But as time goes, more and more brands are offering BB creams for women of colour. After seeing lilpumpkinpie05 and teasedblackpearlz on YouTube use it, I thought I'd give it a try. I haven't had a chance to wear it properly because I recently had an allergy on my face but it does look a tad dark and the shade before looks light. This shade is not available in England so I had to order it off eBay from a US seller. For those interested, click HERE for the link. The seller also has other shades. Once I've tested it out fully, I'll write a review. 

Price: £7.68

Sigma F88 Flat Angled Kabuki Brush

I received the F88 brush this morning that was very kindly sent from Sigma. I am in love with their Sigmax brushes and those who know me know that I cannot live without my F80 Flat Kabuki brush. That has to be the best foundation brush I have ever used for an flawless and good coverage. I always recommend it to people. I'm due to write a review on it actually! This brush is very similar to the F80 but instead it is angled. It can also be used as a foundation brush but since it is angled, it may be easier to use on certain areas of the face. Even though it is very similar to my F80, I will try it out as a foundation brush but I can see myself using it more to contour! Click HERE to view the range or purchase Sigma brushes. For those in England, they do provide worldwide shipping. You can also get 10% until September 30th by using the code SB2012!

Price: $16



If there's anything that I have mentioned in my 'What's New' posts that you would like me to review, do let me know! 

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What's New | Sigma F88, Lancome Teint Idole Ultra, Maybelline BB Cream, Body Shop Tea Tree Range

What's New | Sigma F88, Lancome Teint Idole Ultra, Maybelline BB Cream, Body Shop Tea Tree Range..♥

Aside infrequent posts, I also haven't done much makeup shopping recently but I thought I'd show you the few things I have added to my collection though some are repurchases.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil

After taking a liking to the Tea Tree Blemish Night Fade Lotion, I wanted to try more from The Body Shop Tea Tree range. If you're subscribed to receiving emails from The Body Shop, you will know that they're always sending discount codes or having offers. At the time they were having an offer where if you spend over £5, you get free shipping and 30% off your order so I decided to make use of the discount code and purchase. The oil can be used as a massage oil, in your shampoo, in your bath, in your makeup cleansing solution and is also meant to be good for blemished skin. It is one of their best selling products so I'm interested to see how well it works.

Original Price: £6.50 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion

This is a repurchase. If you have not already seen my review on this product, click HERE. 

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation

I did decide to repurchase this foundation as it has quickly become one of my favourites. I stuck with the shade #11 which I had been using before as I tried #10 again and I didn't like it. I'm sure many of you have already read my review on it but if not, click HERE to read it.

Maybelline Dream Fresh 8-in-1 BB Cream - Deep Sheer Tint

So lately there's been this whole hype about BB creams. At first I never really took interest because there seemed to be a lack of colour range amongst brands. But as time goes, more and more brands are offering BB creams for women of colour. After seeing lilpumpkinpie05 and teasedblackpearlz on YouTube use it, I thought I'd give it a try. I haven't had a chance to wear it properly because I recently had an allergy on my face but it does look a tad dark and the shade before looks light. This shade is not available in England so I had to order it off eBay from a US seller. For those interested, click HERE for the link. The seller also has other shades. Once I've tested it out fully, I'll write a review. 

Price: £7.68

Sigma F88 Flat Angled Kabuki Brush

I received the F88 brush this morning that was very kindly sent from Sigma. I am in love with their Sigmax brushes and those who know me know that I cannot live without my F80 Flat Kabuki brush. That has to be the best foundation brush I have ever used for an flawless and good coverage. I always recommend it to people. I'm due to write a review on it actually! This brush is very similar to the F80 but instead it is angled. It can also be used as a foundation brush but since it is angled, it may be easier to use on certain areas of the face. Even though it is very similar to my F80, I will try it out as a foundation brush but I can see myself using it more to contour! Click HERE to view the range or purchase Sigma brushes. For those in England, they do provide worldwide shipping. You can also get 10% until September 30th by using the code SB2012!

Price: $16



If there's anything that I have mentioned in my 'What's New' posts that you would like me to review, do let me know! 

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What's New (Part 2): Tresemme, Aussie, MAC, Argan Oil, Superdrug

What's New (Part 2): Tresemme, Aussie, MAC, Argan Oil, Superdrug..♥

This part of my 'What's New' post focuses more on recent hair products that I've bought and very few makeup items. 

100% Cosmetic Argan Oil 

I was meant to feature this product on my blog when I first got back from Morocco but I completely forgot. As most of you already know Argan oil originates from Morocco so I thought this would obviously be the best place to purchase the oil. I use it on my Virgin hair and it makes it feel so soft and keeps it moisturised. I managed to bring 3 large sized bottles back to England. They were bought for 50 dirhams (I knocked the price down from 120 dirhams! Can you believe it?!) from the market in Marrakech. 50 dirhams is around £3.50. They had many different Argan oil products including black soap with Argan oil which I've forgotten to take a picture of! The soap was less than 10 dirhams.

Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo & Conditioner

My hair was bleached last month so it's really important that I'm using products that will keep it moisturised. So far I'm really liking the Aussie Miracle Moist Conditioner because it has a lovely smell and makes your hair very soft! They are both larger versions which were bought from Costco but if you're not able to buy from Costco they have the slightly smaller sized ones in places like Superdrug. They are currently having a 2 for £6.99 offer on Aussie products in Superdrug if you're interested in buying them.

Tresemme Heat Defence Spray

My Tresemme Heat Defence leaked in my suitcase so it needed replacing. I always use this before blow drying or straightening hair. 

£4.69

Tresemme Smooth Memory Straightening Spray

I very rarely curl my hair anymore as I feel it just takes too long to do so I've been going more for the sleek straight look. Whilst looking for my Tresemme Heat Defence Spray, I came across this product which is meant to train hair to become straighter, smoother and less frizzy over time. It also includes Argan Oil which is a plus.

£4.99

Superdrug Makeup Sponges

These are just multipurpose makeup wedge sponges. I've only just realised they're quite small compared to the sponges I'm used to using. 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

I know that I usually use the shade Dark but I wanted to try Dark Deep. For my skintone at the moment, I prefer Dark Deep and I've even been getting more compliments on my makeup since I've switched shades. I may go back to Dark during winter.  

£21.00

MAC Morange Lipstick

When I wrote my post about MAC Vegas Volt, I mentioned wanting another orange lipstick for the season and I wasn't too sure how I felt about the boldness of MAC Morange so I was going to go for MAC So Chaud. It was Back2MAC time, so I went to the MAC in Stratford Westfield to try both Morange and So Chaud on. After having them both on, I decided that I preferred MAC Morange though it is a very loud colour. I believe I can work with it. As one of my readers suggested, it can be used with a brown lip liner. After trying on So Chaud with a red liner, I still had on red liner whilst trying on Morange as it was hard to get off. Believe it or not but Morange with a red liner was a nice combination. This post obviously doesn't include a swatch of the colour but I will swatch it or do a FOTD post at a later date if you would like me to. 

£14.00  

That's the end of my 'What's New' posts until my next purchases. I know these products are not as exciting as my package from America but what are your thoughts? 

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What's New (Part 2): Tresemme, Aussie, MAC, Argan Oil, Superdrug

What's New (Part 2): Tresemme, Aussie, MAC, Argan Oil, Superdrug..♥

This part of my 'What's New' post focuses more on recent hair products that I've bought and very few makeup items. 

100% Cosmetic Argan Oil 

I was meant to feature this product on my blog when I first got back from Morocco but I completely forgot. As most of you already know Argan oil originates from Morocco so I thought this would obviously be the best place to purchase the oil. I use it on my Virgin hair and it makes it feel so soft and keeps it moisturised. I managed to bring 3 large sized bottles back to England. They were bought for 50 dirhams (I knocked the price down from 120 dirhams! Can you believe it?!) from the market in Marrakech. 50 dirhams is around £3.50. They had many different Argan oil products including black soap with Argan oil which I've forgotten to take a picture of! The soap was less than 10 dirhams.

Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo & Conditioner

My hair was bleached last month so it's really important that I'm using products that will keep it moisturised. So far I'm really liking the Aussie Miracle Moist Conditioner because it has a lovely smell and makes your hair very soft! They are both larger versions which were bought from Costco but if you're not able to buy from Costco they have the slightly smaller sized ones in places like Superdrug. They are currently having a 2 for £6.99 offer on Aussie products in Superdrug if you're interested in buying them.

Tresemme Heat Defence Spray

My Tresemme Heat Defence leaked in my suitcase so it needed replacing. I always use this before blow drying or straightening hair. 

£4.69

Tresemme Smooth Memory Straightening Spray

I very rarely curl my hair anymore as I feel it just takes too long to do so I've been going more for the sleek straight look. Whilst looking for my Tresemme Heat Defence Spray, I came across this product which is meant to train hair to become straighter, smoother and less frizzy over time. It also includes Argan Oil which is a plus.

£4.99

Superdrug Makeup Sponges

These are just multipurpose makeup wedge sponges. I've only just realised they're quite small compared to the sponges I'm used to using. 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

I know that I usually use the shade Dark but I wanted to try Dark Deep. For my skintone at the moment, I prefer Dark Deep and I've even been getting more compliments on my makeup since I've switched shades. I may go back to Dark during winter.  

£21.00

MAC Morange Lipstick

When I wrote my post about MAC Vegas Volt, I mentioned wanting another orange lipstick for the season and I wasn't too sure how I felt about the boldness of MAC Morange so I was going to go for MAC So Chaud. It was Back2MAC time, so I went to the MAC in Stratford Westfield to try both Morange and So Chaud on. After having them both on, I decided that I preferred MAC Morange though it is a very loud colour. I believe I can work with it. As one of my readers suggested, it can be used with a brown lip liner. After trying on So Chaud with a red liner, I still had on red liner whilst trying on Morange as it was hard to get off. Believe it or not but Morange with a red liner was a nice combination. This post obviously doesn't include a swatch of the colour but I will swatch it or do a FOTD post at a later date if you would like me to. 

£14.00  

That's the end of my 'What's New' posts until my next purchases. I know these products are not as exciting as my package from America but what are your thoughts? 

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What's New: MAC Vegas Volt Lipstick

What's New: MAC Vegas Volt Lipstick..♥

I'm back from Morocco! Very hot country but I really enjoyed spending my birthday there :)

Being the beauty addict that I am, I almost missed my flight because of the duty free MAC in London Gatwick Airport. I've never run so fast in my life lol! Before the sprint, I did manage to get my hands on MAC Vegas Volt lipstick. I love this shade and I've tried this lipstick on before but for some reason I didn't like it on me. Recently, I tweeted about wanting an orange lippy and one of my followers suggested Vegas Volt. I decided to give it another try and I thought it actually looked okay! I know it's more of a coral than an orange but it's a beautiful shade regardless. 

As it is an 'Amplified' finish lipstick, Vegas Volt is very pigmented and creamy therefore not drying like their 'Matte' finishes. This lipstick paired with MAC Richer Lusher Cremesheen Glass is the perfect combination but Richer Lusher will still remain on my wishlist for now!

The swatch above was achieved with just one swipe. 

In my opinion, I think Vegas Volt looks especially nice against medium skin tones (J Lo/ Kim K). Definitely give it a try if you fall into that category!

Finish: Amplified

Collection: Permanent

Availability: Any MAC counter or maccosmetics.co.uk

Duty Free Price: £11.85 

Original Price: £14.00

Though I do have Vegas Volt now, I still want another orange lippy. I was thinking 'So Chaud' next as 'Morange' is a bit too daring for me. What do you think? Any suggestions?

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What's New: MAC Vegas Volt Lipstick

What's New: MAC Vegas Volt Lipstick..♥

I'm back from Morocco! Very hot country but I really enjoyed spending my birthday there :)

Being the beauty addict that I am, I almost missed my flight because of the duty free MAC in London Gatwick Airport. I've never run so fast in my life lol! Before the sprint, I did manage to get my hands on MAC Vegas Volt lipstick. I love this shade and I've tried this lipstick on before but for some reason I didn't like it on me. Recently, I tweeted about wanting an orange lippy and one of my followers suggested Vegas Volt. I decided to give it another try and I thought it actually looked okay! I know it's more of a coral than an orange but it's a beautiful shade regardless. 

As it is an 'Amplified' finish lipstick, Vegas Volt is very pigmented and creamy therefore not drying like their 'Matte' finishes. This lipstick paired with MAC Richer Lusher Cremesheen Glass is the perfect combination but Richer Lusher will still remain on my wishlist for now!

The swatch above was achieved with just one swipe. 

In my opinion, I think Vegas Volt looks especially nice against medium skin tones (J Lo/ Kim K). Definitely give it a try if you fall into that category!

Finish: Amplified

Collection: Permanent

Availability: Any MAC counter or maccosmetics.co.uk

Duty Free Price: £11.85 

Original Price: £14.00

Though I do have Vegas Volt now, I still want another orange lippy. I was thinking 'So Chaud' next as 'Morange' is a bit too daring for me. What do you think? Any suggestions?

Twitter ♥ Bloglovin

What's New: Black Opal, MAC, Clinique, ecoTools

What's New: Black Opal, MAC, Clinique, ecoTools..♥

Hey beauts!

Okay so during my exam period I actually didn't do much makeup shopping; in fact, I did very little as you can see from the picture above. I just picked up a few basics. Nothing extraordinary (apart from that Black Opal powder lol).

1. MAC Lip Liner - Cork

I've always wanted to try a MAC lip liner. Can you believe I didn't own one? The MAC ones just seemed pricey so I'd always just stuck to my NYX ones but now that I've tried out the MAC lip liner, I think I much prefer it! Well MAC 'Cork' is much better than my NYX 'Toast'. The MAC 'Cork' pencil is a lot softer than the NYX 'Toast' at least so it is much easier to apply. I think I'll be investing more in MAC lip liners. I guess you get what you pay for!

Availability: Any MAC counter or MAC online

Price: £10.50

2. Black Opal Invisible Oil Blocking Powder

Please believe that I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best setting powder I have come across so far; better than my Laura Mercier Invisible Setting Powder and we all know I loved that powder (until it ran out and I decided that I'm not paying that amount for a setting powder again). I was looking for a cheaper alternative to my Laura Mercier Invisible Setting Powder so when I came across a YouTuber's instagram and she mentioned how good it was, it was time for me to try it out! Bear in mind that it isn't a white powder like most setting powders. This powder is particularly good for women of colour because of its colour so if you have problems looking ashy with the white powders, give this a try. Don't worry, I will definitely write up a full review for you all!

Availability: PAK Cosmetics

Price: £6.99

3. Clinique Superfine Liner for Brows -04 Black/Brown

So I've changed my eyebrow pencil! Shocking I know! For some reason MAC were out of stock of their 'Stud' eyebrow pencil for absolutely ages. I was losing my patience and all I had was my Rimmel eyebrow pencil which I use as a backup when MAC acts up but I was even fed up of using that. I remembered that Clinique did an eyebrow pencil just like the MAC one so I decided to give it a try. Believe it or not but I actually prefer the Clinique pencil to the MAC one because the pencil is not as soft which gives a less drawn on look. I also prefer the colour of the Clinique pencil. I bought the darkest one which is lighter than MAC 'Stud'. It may be similar to MAC 'Spiked' if I can remember clearly. If you're looking for a change, definitely try this pencil out! 

Availability: Any Clinique counter

Price: £12

4. MAC Studio Finish Concealer - NC45

I only bought this to sharpen up my brows when I've filled them in but now I also use it as an under-eye highlight for that Kim K look as it is a fuller coverage concealer. It will settle into fine lines horribly if you do not set it!!!!

Availability: Any MAC counter or MAC online

Price: £13.50

5. ecoTools Angled Eyeliner Brush

I really needed an angled brush for applying concealer around my brows and I bought this in a rush. It's quite useless for doing that because the brush is not stiff but I don't know how well it works as an eyeliner brush (which is its actual use).

Availability: Boots or Boots online

Price: £5.49

6. MAC Mineralize Foundation Loose - Dark Deep

I bought this because I wanted to try something new (oh and a YouTuber uses it and she looks amazing!). It's meant to be quite similar to the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish but in a loose powder form. The MAC assistant also mentioned that this product is more fine. So far I do like it but maybe I could have gone for the shade before which is 'Dark'. I don't know why I bought 'Dark Deep' anyway because I use MAC MSF in 'Dark'. 

This powder is great for the warm months because it can be used alone and if you have any blemishes, just apply concealer first or maybe even a tinted moisturiser if you need the extra coverage. It's got quite a good coverage as it is a powder foundation but if you apply too much then obviously you will look very powdery. 

 It also gives off a similar glow to the MSF powder!

Availability: Any MAC counter or MAC online

Price: £23.00

7. MAC Prolongwear Concealer NC45

Before I purchased the MAC Studio Finish concealer, I bought this to be used under my eyes for a highlighted look. I usually use MAC Prolongwear concealer anyway but I decided to go for a shade darker than what I usually buy. The coverage is not as much as the 'Studio Finish' concealer so these are for those subtle makeup days.

Availability: Any MAC counter or MAC online

Price: £13.50

Not much but what do you think of my recent buys? Does anyone own the Black Opal powder?

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