You need to know about… FashionistA Cosmetics

It’s hard to keep up with all the new make up brands hitting the high street. We’ve had Sleek, MUA, Accessorize, VIVO, the upcoming LOOK magazine cosmetics and the much anticipated, not to be missed FashionistA Range.

FashionistA cosmetics, launch in Superdrug at the end of September, include everything you’d expect from a good high street brand, and more. Their stand out products are the Custom Design Palettes, which are empty palettes that you can fill with a mixture of 4 eye shadows or blushers (Frontcover do something similar, which I love but theirs are limited to eyeshadows). With a huge 49 eye shadows and 12 blushers to choose from, you can really design a palette that suits you. Set to retail for £12 for the palette and 4 shadows/blushers.

And if that wasn’t enough, they also have the Magnetism nail polish range with The Saturdays coming out at the end of October.

Each Saturday has their own shade and will retail for a reasonable £6 for the polish and £3 for the magnet. Frankie’s is a silver shade, Mollie’s is a metallic pinky purple, Rochelle’s is a metallic red, Una’s is a metallic forest green and Vanessa’s is a sort of smoky metallic grey magnetic polish.

Beauty Waitlist… VIVO Make up at Tesco

Tesco, is there anything they don’t sell? Ok I know they already do make up in the form of Barbara Daly, but I’m sorry it’s a bit dull and does anyone actually buy it? Their new and exclusive make up range VIVO  celebrates being “Alive with Colour” and looks set to rival other budget brands like MUA and Sleek, who give us great, on-trend products at affordable prices.

The VIVO range will start at a very affordable £1.50 offering the staples – foundation, mascara and lipgloss etc, as well as bronzer/highlighter duos, brow kits and false eye lashes.  There are also some gorgeous eye and cheek palettes containing domed and marble affect blushers and eyeshadows set to retail around £6!

To be honest I don’t think I need anymore distractions when I’m trying to do my weekly shop, I already spend half an hour in the magazine aisle and have to be dragged away from F&F and now, like a bee to honey  I’ll be drawn, actually sucked in, to the make up isle.

 

I might as well just transfer all my wages to Terry Tesco.

VIVO coming soon (End of September) to an oversized Tesco near you!

17 All About Nude Palette

If you’ve been in Boots anytime in the last week or so this summer palette might just have caught your eye. Unfortunately the limited edition palette is not for individual sale, instead it’s a free gift when you purchase any two 17 products. I ordered mine online as the shops had sold out, and now I see why. The palette is really good quality and wouldn’t be out of place alongside premium palettes from the likes of Benefit and Stila. It contains two eye shadows (top row), a multi purpose cheek blush/highlighter (bottom left) and a lipgloss (bottom right).

The golden coloured eyeshadow is divine – buttery texture, highly pigmented and metallic finish. The cheek product reminds me of a pigmented highlighter, think Nars’ Multiples or Topshop’s Cheek and the lip square is rosey glossy lipstick.

l-r pink eye shadow, golden eye shadow, blush and lips

 So which two 17 products did I choose to go with the new palette? Well, I opted for a mirror shine lipstick in Peace that I’ve had my eye on for a while and a practical, but slightly boring pencil sharpener (£1.99).

Mirror Shine Lipstick – Peace £2.59 (online, £4.59 in store)

If you fancy one of these lipsticks, order online. Boots have £2 off the Mirror Shine range, for some reason they’re still full price in store. As the title suggests, this is a shiny, glossy lipstick. It looks like a lipstick but feels like a balm. It’s shiny like a lipgloss but not at all sticky. Peace looks like a bright coral, but on the lips, it’s more of a hot pink – either way it’s a nice summer shade and super shiny.

All three products cost less than five pounds, a pretty savvy haul I’d say!

THIS WEEKS BUYS: MAC Wonder Woman Lipstick, Gloss and Blush

I already blogged about the the fab Limited Edition Opulash in Victorious. Now Mac’s Wonder Woman collection is undoubtedly the most coverted collection of the year, if not the decade, but I needed a new lipgloss like a hole in the head so I desperately tried to resist temptation. Unfortunately, I was ill last week and succum to the devil that is, late night internet shopping… and I’m glad I did.

Here’s what I got

Doesn’t it look pretty? I’m a sucker for cute packaging.

Wonder Woman Powder Blush in Mighty Aphrodite

The jewel in the crown of the collection. Undoubtedly heroic, this special powder blush is supersized and super fabulous. Duo blusher is part warm peach coral with gold pearl and part bright coral pink with gold pearl. It barely hit the door mat before I was slapping it on. The compact is gorgeous and unlike other mac blushers and compacts, comes complete with a mirror. It’s larger than the standard blushes and with two colours  it’s perfect to mix and blend for varying shades and intensities. The lighter shade is quite subtle, yet very pretty and warm looking. Gives a healthy, flushed glow. The darker pink shade is more pigmented – a little goes a long way. Mix and match to suit, great for contouring. I just love it!

Wonder Woman Lipstick in Marquise d’

I think I bought this lipstick for show,I blame the star. It’s a pale, neutral colour, MAC describe it as a sandy cream peach, but that doesn’t do it justice. Universally flattering it’s cute and very Spring. Soft, moistuising, long lasting and rocks in my handbag. A perfect compliment to the Mighty Aphrodite blush.

 

Wonder Woman Lipglass in Emancipation

 

 

Size counts with this limited-edition jumbo-sized Lipglass! With a heroine’s sense of bravado, this M∙A∙C favourite flaunts its superhero status over its frenemies, leaving them in the shade. Speaking of shade, it’s a soft pink but not too suitable, shows up lovely on the lips – making for a perfect wonder woman pout. As with all lipglasses it’s shiny, sticky and long lasting, unlike other lipglasses, it’s seriously fat, even the wand is huge.

 

Once you’ve had fat you’ll never go back!

REVIEW: Topshop Cream Blush in Hush

I’m seriously loving Topshop make up right now. Topshop has long been one of our favourite haunts, but it’s taken me a little while to take their new make up range seriously, that is until I tried their Cream Blush.

First of all, the packaging is super cute, a small polka dot compact with a mirror, but the product packs a punch too. It’s a cream to powder blusher, meaning it applies like a cream blush, but sets like a powder. But when I say “sets” it’s not cakey, or matte, it leaves a nice sheen on the cheeks, but doesn’t feel wet or sticky. I find it works best to use your fingers to dab on the cheeks, then blend with a normal blusher brush, like MAC’s 116.

It blends sooo smoothly and creates a radiant, natural glow. Hush I’d describe as a coral, pink. It looks super bright in the compact, but quite natural on the face, it can of course be layered for maximum impact. It’s pretty longlasting too, I took the compact out with me on a recent night out but didn’t need to reapply – be warned your friends might want to stick their fingers in it like mine.

Currently available in 6 shades. A snip at £6, here’s hoping they expand the colour range.

REVIEW: MAC Blushcreme in Ladyblush

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Perfect cream blush, how I coverted thee. Usually finding previous incarnations too pale, too bright, too thin, too gluepy, difficult to apply… Finally I found my perfect match with the fabulous Mac  Blushcreme.

Luxuriously soft and extremely creamy, this cream blush tenderly flushes the cheeks or brings them into full-blown rosy bloom. Available in 6 colours, it blends well and layers exquisitely. I’ve been using Ladyblush, a cool pink, which gives my face a fresh, dewy, slightly shiny look; whenever I wear it people comment that I look fresh and radiant. So much so, my friends and colleagues have switched from regular powder blush to this one and my Mum, who didn’t wear any blush has converted too.

It’s quite easy to apply, it’s a little thick so to avoid the drag, simply pat on with fingers then blend with a brush – this and Mac’s 187 Duo Fibre brush are a match made in heaven, but foundation and regular blusher brushes work fine too.

The product is highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way, and it’s very easy to adjust the depth and intensity of colour. Ladyblush is a great everyday colour – for extra shine, apply on top of a highlighter such as Mac’s strobe cream or liquid. I also love lilicet – a peachy pink and posey – a brighter rosey pink, great for darker skin tones.

If you’re pushed for time simply pat on the cheeks and go.

The colour is more vivid than it looks in the picture, the camera’s flash is too bright.

Needless to say I’m pretty upset about Mac’s recent announcement to dicontinue these blushers, here’s hoping the cosmetic giant comes back with something bigger and better…. and soon!

Available instore and online while stocks last £17.

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RIP MAC Blushcreme – Discountinued in the UK

The rumours are true, MAC Blushcremes are no more!

After discontinuing them in the USA last month, I hoped and prayed they wouldn’t follow suit in the UK market, but MAC’s Blushcremes are sadly being laid to rest. Fear not, there’s just enough time to stockpile before we lose this wonder product forever. They’re still available in store and online, but hurry as they’re “Going, Going, Gone”.

Since discovering these cream blushes just ten months ago (it’s not long enough, I need more time), they’ve become an integral part of my make up routine! Just when I’m finally happy with my face, those bad boys at MAC go and pull the rug from underneath my feet!

Watch this space – A full review to follow… before it’s too late.

Topshop Make Up Sandstorm Collection for Spring/Summer 2011

Topshop – not content with ruling the high street fashion world, they’re now set to dominate the make up one too, and with this new Spring/Summer 11 Sandstorm collection, beauty insiders are sitting up and taking serious notice.

The collection, inspired predominantly by The Burning Man Project festival in the Nevada dessert – hence the name, is a beautiful selection of one off formulas in contrasting metallic finishes and sun bleached neon’s, delicate pastels, sandy hues and peachy lips.

The collection includes, the eagerly anticipated Duo Blush, a versatile blusher and bronzer in a marbled dome for both highlighting and contouring, marble effect baked eye shadows, metallic cream eye shadows and vibrant nail polishes. This fiercely vibrant collection is perfectly on trend with for this season’s 70’s glam rock revival and the perfect companion for the coming festival season.

This limited edition capsule collection from £5 is set to hit stores and Topshop online next week. In the mean time, quench your thirst with tutorial.

17/2/11 Update

Sandstorm now available online, but it’s selling out quick!

Lancôme Limited Edition Swarovski Bafta Blush Palette

With award season fast approaching you can get the A list look courtesy of Lancome and Swarovski with this oh so glam limited edition blusher.

The collaboration, apparently born from a request by Kate Winslet’s make-up artist Linda Melazzo, who thought Kate needed something sparkly to slip into her clutch come the night of the Baftas 2011, isn’t the first and hopefully won’t be the last between the make up and crystal supremos.

The multi couloured blusher will add instant colour and glow to your face and your purse; I’m sold on the crystal encrusted palette alone.

Lancome, the Official Beauty Partner to the BAFTAs for over ten years, will launch the limited edition Bafta Palette £50 on 01st February, exclusively for Selfridges.

A piece of film star glamour for all us mere mortals.