Makeup Collection and Storage

Hello Dolls,

As promised i have done a collection post. I have been collecting for about 6 years so don't think i have bought all of this in a short space of time, this is years of accumulating! I remember saving up my paper round money to buy MAC eyeshadows when i was about 13 and a pot shadow was £9. The first thing i ever bought from MAC was Vanilla pigment, quickly followed by Naked Lunch and Sprout eyeshadows (not sure if they even do Sprout anymore it was pretty hideous!).

This is my mirror and vanity with my white anglepoise lamp. I keep my traincases to the side on an acrylic table.

I keep my perfume on this little glass tray which came from a car boot. At the moment I'm into to Philosophy scents, they smell so clean and fresh, just a shame they don't last a bit longer!

My MAC lipsticks are in this glass heart shaped container which i got from the Range. I like to store my lipsticks this way up so can i see the shade names easily when i am in a rush in the morning!

On the top of my vanity i keep a basket for face products and things i use all of the time, such as NARS Sheer Glow, MAC Stereo Rose, Nars Laguna etc.  I also put new products in there which i haven't tried out. At the moment i have a NARS Multiple Tint in Turks and Caicos to try out which i am very excited about!

I have two Shu Uemura Atelier cases which i use to hold the majority of my collection. I don't think you can get these anymore but they are amazing! They are three tiered and have pots to hold pencils, brushes etc.

This is my eye product case which is mostly MAC and NARS. I  have a 15 pan palette that i keep on the top too.

The second case holds my true obsession, cheek products! I have a lot of MSFs and some other highlighter products such as NARS multiples <3

And closed up with the top tray in...

The top tray has NYX cream blushes, NARS blushes and MAC cream and mineralize blushes which don't fit in the palettes.

On my bookcase i have some make up books, such as NARS Make Up You Mind and Scott Barnes- All About Face. I love makeup books for ideas and inspiration. I also have my Barbie Loves MAC doll which i think was released in about 2006, I've had her a while!

If you have any questions or want to see anything in more detail leave me a comment below : ) I love looking at other collections, so link me to your post if you have done a post!

Elle x

Guest blogging at Zuneta - Korres Lipgloss

Hello Dolls,

I am guest blogging over at Zuneta today on Korres Lipgloss   

If you have a couple of minutes pop over and take a look, comments are much appreciated : )

If you do hop over there be sure to check out the newly launched Edward Bess line too, the lipstick in Nude Lotus looks gorgeous! There is also a section to apply to be a guest blogger if that is something you like the look of!

Collection post will be up in next couple of days so look out for that!

Elle x

Meet my new best friends.....

6.45am commuting starts do not bode well with my beauty routine. Needless to say this has been sacrificed for a few precious extra minutes in bed! Make up wise i have used Nars Bali eyeshadow smoked out, a coat or three of mascara, some Nars Sheer Glow and dusted my face with some bronzer and slicked my lips with some Nars Turkish Delight.  

Hair wise these two products have become well loved.....

I have been washing my hair every other day but for the day that i don't wash it i like to use something to at least freshen it up a little!

I have always been a fan of dry shampoo, for lazy days and Batiste dry shampoo has always been a favourite.They only thing i didn't really like was the aerosol can which made me choke a little and how hard it is to control. The new Nude Dry Shampoo however is amazing. It is scent free, no tell tale 'tropical' i haven't washed my hair today smell and comes as a loose powder which can be sprinkled, definitely worth £3.49!

I have also used the Ojon Rub-out Cleanser, which is priced at about £10 more, works half as well and made me smell a bit like a hippy,  i do not recommend!
As dry shampoo can make you hair a little bit dull i have also cracked out this little beauty, Neal +Wolf 'Glow'. This is super shine spray and brightens up my dull over processed locks a treat, without making them greasy. I was actually sent this product a few months ago but hadn't got round to reviewing it.  Priced at £11.95 i think this is slightly overpriced, however i can't really compare to any similar cheaper products on the market as i haven't used them. The scent reminds me of ange ou demon by Givenchy, a spicy floral, it is really unusual for hair products to have such complex scents and makes a refreshing change. Be warned if you don't like strong scents you most probably will hate the smell of this.

Have you tried the new Batiste Nude Dry Shampoo? What are your top tips for lazy hair days?

Elle x

Jumpsuits and cupcakes

It is my sister's 18th birthday so .. Happy Birthday Sophie! Last night she had a party so here is a couple of pictures of the clothes i adorned myself with....

OOTN

Jumpsuit- H+M

Shoes- Carvela

Leather Envelope Clutch- Vintage

Necklace- Lisa Taubes

I really like this jumpsuit, i wasn't too sure to start with but i think it is a winner!

And some pictures of the cupcakes i made for the party...

As my second ever attempt i was quite impressed with myself .. Delia eat your heart out (well not quite!)

Hope you are all having a great weekend and have fun in the sun whilst it lasts!

Elle x

June Favourites

I didn't find June a particularly inspiring month in the world of beauty especially on the cosmetic front. All was not lost as i did pick up a few nice skincare items and had a dig around my stash and found a few neglected cosmetic items which deserved more attention...

NARS Mekong Eyeshadow- A gorgeous super dark espresso with golden shimmer, which provides a great alternative to black. I use this in my outer V a lot to create smokey brown eye looks, I sometimes feel black is too harsh for my fair skin tone but this is just perfect. There is a little bit of fall out but perfectly controllable.

NARS Tuomota Multiple Bronzer- I love this matte bronzer as a contour as it is creamy and easy to blend. I use this with my 109 brush and it looks nice and natural with no bright orange tones, I’ve done a little swatch below so you can see the colour..

Chanel Particuliere Nail Varnish- I’m sure this is perfectly dupable, with say Barry M Mushroom polish, however nothing comes close to having the real deal for me. I must admit i was rather excited when i spotted this on the counter at Jarrolds a couple of weeks back, after a random restock. This is one of those dirty taupe colours which waivers to the brown rather than purple side. I know nobody else probably knows it is Chanel but I feel classy and sophisticated when I wear it, a moderately to expensive guilty pleasure purchase in my opinion.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair- This product is one of those cult products which often wins a number of awards, I am often dubious of this, I mean who still votes for Maybelline Great Lash mascara as the best mascara of all time still?? However I let my scepticism go and purchased this, mainly due to seeing Tanya rave about this product (I mean who wouldn’t want skin like hers?). This product has definitely helped heal any blemishes I have faster than normal and soothes my skin when it feels irritated. I don’t use this every night, just keep it to hand for angry skin days.

I hummed and hawed over including the next two items due to one factor, which was price. Neither of these products were cheap, they definitely fall into the expensive guilty pleasure category however I did enjoy using these so thought it would be shame to leave them out.

Aromatherapy Associates Revive Evening Bath and Shower Oil- This is just pure self indulgent luxury, I use a cap of this in the bath when I feel stressed and instantly feel relaxed and revived. This smells divine a mixture of geranium and patchouli. I’m a little sad that my bottle has just one or two more baths left : (


Nude Replenishing Night Oil- This comes in at an extortionate £42 for just 15ml of product however the results were impressive. My skin plays up at times and I suffer from eczema in places. A couple of drops are all i use at night when I feel my skin is in need and I wake up with beautifully soft, glowy skin. Unlike with some oils there is no greasy residue left in morning. A major downfall however is that you can not see how much is left, meaning I can not really say how long this will last at the moment.

I also accquired two new babies in the form of Shu Uemura Atelier beauty boxes (pictured to the left)...

My vanity/set up

These cases are spacious and well-built, perfect for storing my oversized collection

I have thought about doing a collection post however am not sure whether this would be of interest to any of you! Let me know if you would like to see it.

I did do a little haul from In the Groove however i won't bother to post that as you have probably seen it all before! It consisted of Stereo Rose, Stereo Rose and one more Stereo Rose.... better to be safe than sorry : )

Elle x

FOTD ft. some May favourites

I have done a FOTD post in a long time, so i thought it was about time i did one again! Some products i have loved in the month of May include Nars Mekong eyeshadow and Penny Lane cream blush so i have used these : ). Another favourite has been the NUDE Hydrating Water which you can get here. I will probably do a separate post on this as i like it a lot. I never got one with Fix + but i feel this leaves my skin feeling plump and refreshed, so a definate thumbs up.

Here is the FOTD and what i used:

Face

Nars Sheer Glow- Ceylan

MAC Studio Finish Concealer

NARS Penny Lane Cream Blush

NARS Laguna Bronzer

Eyes

MAC Painterly Paint Pot

Lancome Erika F Eyeshadow

NARS Mekong Eyeshadow

MAC Blacktrack Fluidline

Ardell Sweeties False Lashes

Dior Extase Mascara

Clinique Instant Brow Lift- Soft Brown

Lips

MAC Hue Lipstick

Hope you like it!

Elle x

Stereo Rose... I can't wait to play you again

MAC is due to release Stereo Rose MSF again so i thought i would do a little post about it.

I have a large collection of MSFs however if i had to keep one this would be it. I have to confess i already have two of these, and yes i did pay over the odds but hey ho some people collect stamps i collect coloured powders. This powder has been commanding prices of £50+ to say i was little bit excited when i heard of the re-release is an understatement.

Stereo Rose is a gorgeous coral with gold shimmer.. when i hear coral and gold shimmer i instantly become excited! 

What makes this different from other MSFs is both the pigmentation, which is strong enough for a blush and the glow.......

No glitter, no heavy shimmer just glowy goodness!

Personally i disliked Ripe Peach, i just didn't get the fuss but with this i most certainly get it.

Stereo Rose is due for release with the In the Groove collection in the summer, so mouse at the ready, i predict a sell out!

Will you be purchasing?

Elle x