MAC Make-Up Haul January 2016 & Review

At the end of January I decided that I deserved a mini MAC haul for enduring a horrible exam period. So as I headed home for a 5 day break in Essex, I stopped off at MAC at St Pancras Station in London.

 I went in with a list of what I wanted apart from the exact shade of lipstick, however a sales assistant was more than willing to help.

Here is what I ended up with:

- MAC Prep & Prime Fix+

This product smells like watermelon which is an absolute treat to spray on your face everyday, thank you MAC gods. I asked the sales assistant how this product should be used, and she told me to spray before make-up application as a primer/skin illuminator but also after make-up to create a dewy look and eliminate a cakey-looking base. It really is a dream come true as I am obsessed at the moment with creating a bright and dewy make-up look. This bottle is going to last me ages, but I can guarantee I will be repurchasing. 

- MAC Mineralize Powder in Lightscapade

I can't even handle the beauty of this product, a beautiful pale pink highlighter with blue veining throughout. I did my research before I visited MAC and read that this was perfect for pale skin; I can confirm this. This further creates the bright and dewy look I am aiming for in this cold winter season. I just sweep it across my cheekbones, under my eyebrow arch and down my nose using my real techniques contour brush.

Fix + and Lightscapade working their magic

- MAC Prep & Prime Lip Primer

I've mentioned my dry and cracked lips a billion times now. I asked the MAC sales assistant and she agreed, YES, this product would be perfect for me. Not only does it smooth your lips, but it also creates a moist and tacky surface for your lipstick to stick to. So far I am impressed with this product, however my lipstick still comes off relatively easy when I eat/drink. I am yet to try it out when I want my lipstick to last for a long time, such as a night out. I also want to try it with a few of my non-MAC liquid lipsticks.

- MAC Satin Lipstick in the shade Faux

All I can say is, thank you MAC sales assistant. I was all about the matte MAC lipsticks before discussing what formula of lipstick would best suit my lips. She told me satin lipsticks aren't ridiculously shiny, so get a similar effect to the matte shades but don't dry out the lips as much. She swatched a lot of different nude shades on her hand, before I finally decided on Faux. Its a perfect everyday nude, which is a little bit lighter than the natural colour of my lips and has a slight sheen. It looks best when I overdraw my lipliner slightly and use a darker pencil.

Before lip primer and Faux

Faux adding a magical girly colour to my look

Oh happy days.

Hope you all enjoyed my haul, hopefully I'll be visiting again very soon. Let me know if you want me to do any other make-up product reviews.

XOXO

Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte Liquid Lipstick Review

For the life of me I can not remember how I heard about the Gerard Cosmetics liquid lipsticks, but now I'm in love and I want more.

 My new obsession is lipsticks, so I knew £10 was a small price to pay for my first one. I scouted the colour I wanted through YouTube videos and blogs, deciding on Serenity. Then put my order through on Beautybay.com (this website had loads of really cool brands, including Anastasia Beverly Hills..so I will definitely be using it again).

Serenity

When it arrived I straight away loved the frosting on the tube and gold lipstick wand; nice packaging to display on your dressing table.

The colour is just perfect for what I wanted. Serenity is a deep pink/purple nude colour which can be worn in a day-to-day casual look. In just one layer, it really takes your lips from drab to fab. It's not scarily bright so anyone would suit and love this colour.

Serenity worn in casual day look

The formula of the lipstick applies to your lips similar to a lip gloss, so it is very easy to apply. Then it dries as a matte lipstick. I love the fact it is matte as I sometimes think shiny lips take away from any eye make-up you have on. It can feel dry throughout the day, however, it does not crack your lips. A bit of Vaseline over the top, for anyone who hates dry lips, could solve this issue.

The first time I wore the lipstick I applied it at 10am, ate lunch, went to town and it was still on my lips at 6pm. This is more than I could say for any other lipstick I have worn.

I plan on buying more colours at some point. Any colour suggestions? I'm worried the other colours may be too out there for me (basically I'm a big wuss).

But readers...go and buy Serenity, you won't regret it.

XOXO

New Look Pure Colour Lipstick

Last weekend I went out and bought a New Look Pure Colour lipstick in the shade of Mid Pink. 

I had been looking for a winter lipstick that I could work into a day and night look. This shade is more of a berry colour in my opinion, so was perfect for me!

Previously I have bought Topshop lipsticks, which are fabulous! However, I am a student again this year, so looked for a cheaper option. The lipstick itself cost £3.99 and the lip liner cost £1.99. New Look also offer 10% student discount. What a bargain?!

Unfortunately, these are not as pigmented as Topshop lipsticks. They also do not last for long before another application is needed to top up the colour. However, I think initially the colour and lip liner looked fabulous for the Winter look I was going for. Therefore, I think for this price, it is worth investing in the pair and keep the lipstick in your bag/clutch for top ups.

Here is a before and after the winter makeover:

I used Vaseline to moisturise my lips before I applied the lip liner and lipstick.

Such a cosy winter day look!

 XOXO

Daydreamer Girl