Nars Pierre Hardy Blush Review - Boys Don't Cry

Hiya Lovelies!

A month or so ago i was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the winners of the Nars Instagram challenges and received the Pierre Hardy range. But as always, although i didn't pay for this little gem myself my opinions are 100% honest and my own. I'd actually been lusting over this blush for quite a while so i was quite a happy bunny when they contacted me letting me know i had won!

Both the Pierre Hardy blushes are larger than the regular line and are the size of their bronzers, you get a 13g of product  and a slight twist on the regular packaging with the designers name printed on the front. Boys Don't Cry is an absolutely gorgeous bold, matte, corally-pink-red (i really am the queen of colour descriptions, right?), but the beautiful gold shimmer pattern is just an over spray, making it perfect for all you matte fans!

It is extremely pigmented so heavy handed me has had to be very careful when applying this as it is such a bold shade, but as you can see in the swatches below it blends out beautifully. Considering the pigmentation i think it would work great on a whole host of skin tones as even my pale complexion can pull it off.  It’s a pretty much perfect bold summer colour.

As a limited edition collection it does have a slightly higher price tag at £30, but as i mentioned earlier you do get more grams of product for your buck. Its available through the Nars website but for all you students, you can pick it up from ASOS with 10% discount and free delivery.

Oh and i forgot to mention, i actually received two of these... So keep your eyes peeled for a little giveaway coming soon!

Whats your favourite Nars blush shade?

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xox

IMATS London 2013 - The Haul

Heya lovelies!

If you've seen my previous post you will know i attended IMATS London this weekend and this little lot is what i have to show from it! If you've not seen my last post, go have a looky because there really was some amazing talent on show. I was savvy enough to arrive early and managed to get the majority of my shopping done before the place got manic. The queue for NYX by 11am was absolutely huge so I was really thankful i nipped there as one of my first stops! The Nars booth was hectic due to a combination of around 60% off a selection of products (obviously i couldn't resist those) and the booth was really badly set out so it made grabbing the bargains extremely difficult!

I managed to get the majority of what i wanted on the day and a few little extras, of course. But this year was less about the shopping for me and more about the experience, i even came home with a little bit of money left over... Madness! I'll try and remember prices as best i can and silly me forgot to add my Parian Spirit to my haul pictures, but expect a review of that little beauty soon because it smells absolutely amazing!

I'd wanted to replace my Embryolisse for the longest time but had specifically waited for IMATS to grab it with a little discount, its my go-to moisturiser for any type of sore skin. I was a little disappointed with OCC as they didn't have their airbrush foundation or polishes with them this year, so i opted for some Kett foundation for my airbrush and Guru Makeup Emporium had a decent discount on all their products. I did however manage to snag the OCC concealer I'd been lusting over forever.

Embryolisse - £15

Kett Hydro Foundation - £18

OCC Conceal - £10

As i mentioned earlier Nars had a whopping discount of around 60% off selected products and were not selling their full range (sad face), but i jumped at the chance to snag a few bargains! I wish I'd grabbed a few more things to try out but as the booth was so crammed it was hard to see and grab what you wanted.

New Order Highlighter - £8.50

Never Say Never Matte Pencil - £7

Sin / Albatross Duo - £12.50

Ben Nye Banana Powder is ridiculously famous in the beauty world, but even in a shopping frenzy i was smart enough to know that it really wouldn't work on my super fair complexion, so i opted for their fair translucent powder. It has a gigantic 85 grams of product! I then grabbed a Nyx Taupe blush for contouring and a couple of lip liners to add to my collection too. Oh Velvetine, you are mine now. I'm a real whore for matte red lips so this was my first purchase for the day since they were bound to sell out. And my beloved Smoky Lash, we meet again! MUFE Smoky Lash is my all time favourite mascara, so snagging it with a discount is wonderful.

Ben Nye Translucent Powder - £6.10

Nyx Taupe Blush - £4

Nyx Lip Liners - £2.50

Lime Crime Velvetine - £9.20

MUFE Smoky Lash Mascara - £12

And last but not least, the brushes! I think i was very well behaved when it came to brushes this year. I knew what i wanted and stuck to my list for once. The amount of brushes Crown Brush UK stock is incredible but i was restrained and picked up two of my favourite angled brushes, I've been using them to create sharp lip lines as well as my brows lately so i needed a few more. The Pro Blending Crease has quickly become one of my all time favourite brushes, i picked a couple up online a few months ago and have been using them religiously ever since. I also couldn't resist grabbing another 217 style blending brush from Bdellium Tools.

Crown Angled Brow - £2

Crown Pro Blending Crease - £4

Bdellium Tools 776 - £5

So not the biggest of hauls but I'm mighty chuffed with what i managed to get my paws on. Such a shame IMATS is only once a year! 

Did you go to IMATS this year?

Feel free to share your posts!

xox

IMATS London 2013 - The Pictures

 

 Ello lovelies! 

So yesterday i had the hard task of dragging my bum out of bed extraordinarily early (4am to be exact) and hop on a train to London to visit this years London IMATS show. Oh its a hard life.... ha.

This was my second year attending the event and last year for me was all about the shopping! This year i wanted to take in more of what the show had to offer and spend a lot more time watching and enjoying some of the magnificent artistry on show. Oh, and do a little shopping of course. Unfortunately this year my partner in makeup related crimes is currently working in Florida (i know, how selfish right? :P ) but luckily good ol' Mum stepped in and offered to come with me for the day. Thanks Mum!

Because of our super early train times we arrived pretty early and were near the front of the queue. We managed to get most of our shopping done by 11pm due to sticking more or less to my prepared shopping list. I really do not like having a budget lol. There were a couple of minor disappointments on the day, Bobbi Brown were only selling to customers with a pro card, which to me seemed a little silly. Secondly Nars only had a small selection of products on sale, although having their whole range on display. I think this was due to only having a relatively small booth so they obviously couldn't stock the whole range, but to make up for this the stock they did have was significantly discounted (around 50%), so i gots me some bargains! I spent my last few hours there taking in the stunning artistry on show and as you can see from the pictures, it certainly didn't disappoint! I even managed to see Terry Barber from MAC work his magic on the main stage, but due to camera fails I was only able to grab a quick Instagram pic of his work.

I'll be posting a separate haul of all the goodies i purchased on the day

because this post is already huge with all the gorgeous makeup i snapped, enjoy!

We don't have a MAC store in Southampton, so this got me a little excited to say the least!

Oh Parian Spirit, why you smell so good?

Karla Powell MUA doing her thing at the Crown Brush booth! I wasn't around for the finished look but if you follow her on Instagram you would of seen her pop art inspired masterpiece. I really do love her work!

I managed to completely resist Inglot this year....

 

LOOK AT THOSE SHOES! (My bad for the blurry pic, but they were amazing!)

So that's all my snaps for the day. How amazing are those looks!?

Did you go to IMATS this year?

Feel free to link me your posts/hauls, i love a good nosey!

Up next, the haul...

xox

Dainty Doll Blush Bargains

Hey lovelies!

I'll keep this as short and sweet as possible as unless you've been living under a rock you'll have all heard lots about these little beauties. As a full priced brand Dainty Doll was never something that really caught my eye (which is surprising for a brand aimed at pale girls like myself), but recently I picked these two bad boys up for just a mere £1.99 each! Bargain, right?!

I purchased mine from Fragrance Direct, which are currently out of stock. But I've been spotting them on my local market for the exact same price, so keep your eyes peeled for those! You can also find them on amazon ranging between £2 - £5, so not quite a cheap but still a good deal. I picked up two shades My Girl (the pink) and Money Talks (the bronze). I'm not entirely sure why Money Talks caught my eye, but I'm glad it did! There are four shades in the powder collection the other two are a gorgeous Orgasm-esque peachy-pink with gold shimmer and the other a pale, pale lilac.

Money Talks               -               My Girl

The texture is buttery soft, which makes it easy to pick far too much up on your brush and heavy handed me has had a few issues with that. Pigmentation wise, these are lovely and really easy to blend with my Real Techniques Blush Brush. I just need to remember to tap my brush in, not swirl or else i end up looking a bit like Aunt Sally....

I'm really enjoying both of these and at the current price point of £1.99 are a real steal! If you can get your paws on them, do it!

If Fragrance Direct update their stock I'll be sure to update with a link!

Whats your go-to blush right now?

xox

IMATS London - Shopping List

Hey Lovelies!

IMATS London is just a week away now, how exciting! I went a little bit mad last year and spent far, far too much money so this year I'm on a much stricter budget. Over the past few months I've been making a little list of the goodies i "need" to pick up while I'm there, I'm sure there will be many other things purchased but these are the bits and bobs I'm looking for. As much as i would love to splurge on Inglot i think i did a bit too much of that last year and I've yet to hit pan on even one shadow from them, so I'm trying to be a good girl this year. As you can see, my list is much more restrained!

NARS Laguna Bronzer
Its their first year at IMATS and I've recently hit pan on a couple of my products, so a repurchase of Laguna is definitely needed!

OCC Concealer 
I've been after this little beaut for a while now and everywhere i look R0 has been out of stock, so fingers crossed i can get my mitts on this.

MUFE Smoky Lash 
My all time favourite mascara. I purchased two last year which have completely ran out so more are needed ASAP!

Kett Hydro Airbrush Foundation 
Now I'm not totally set on which airbrush foundation i want yet, its a toss up between Kett and OCC so I'll guess we'll see on the day. I purchased a Dinair system before Christmas and its not seen a lot of love from me due to not liking the Dinair foundation formula so I'm eager to get a different brand and whack the airbrush out much more.

Glitter 
All of it.

Crown Blending Crease Brush 
You can never have enough blending brushes and this Crown brush has been one of my favourites so a backup or two is definitely needed. And knowing me there will be a few more cheeky crown brush purchases.

NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder
 Again, I've had my eye on this little beauty for some time now. Its seen pretty much rave reviews online and I'm actually running out of both my favourite setting powders.

Limecrime Red Velvet Velvetine 
Now Limecrime aren't exhibiting themselves but there are a few places that stock them so fingers crossed they bring this to the show. I've been really put off purchasing Limecrime products for obvious reasons but I'm a sucker for matte red lip products.

Are you going to IMATS this year?

Whats on your shopping list?

xox

Guest Post: Gorgeous EOTD from Mad About Beauty!

Hello Beautiful People

I am Channy from Mad About Beauty (http://madaboutbeauty.blogspot.com.au/) 

I have been a beauty blogger/youTuber for the last 2 years or so! Make up is my passion I love how it can change a persons look and give them confidence!  I am here today to share a look I did recently =)

A good friend over in the USA picked me up a few of the new Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadows and I fell in LOVE with Zodiac! It’s a stunning shade though be warned it applies best if you PAT it onto a base less fall out =) and one photo is a bit light I had a bright light on to show the sparkle haha

I hope you all like this look 

Xoxo

C

KC Beautique - UK Based Korean Cosmetics Store

 

Ello Lovelies!

 
My love for BB Creams is no secret. I've reviewed my fair few throughout my time blogging and its safe to say that none have come close to my love for Korean brands. Personally, i have found the UK's offerings to be more akin to tinted moisturisers and many being far, far too dark for me which is something i rarely find with traditional BB's. The Korean offerings also have a whole host of skin loving ingredients in them which our UK counterparts tend to skimp on.

Now getting hold of Korean brands can be a pain, the internet is flooded with fakes and all the websites i've encountered ship from outside the EU which means you run the risk of getting slapped with import tax and the dreaded Royal Mail handling fee. Well, not anymore! KC Beautique is a new UK based store selling a variety of Korean Cosmetics including two of my all time favourite BB Creams; the Skin79 Hot Pink (pictured above, I'm currently on my fourth tube of this!) and the Missha M Perfect Cover. Theres a few skincare bits I've got my eye on and I'm excited to see what new additions pop up on the website.

For anyone interested, I've also managed to snag you lovely lot a discount code. You can get 10% off any order of £10 and over from now up until June 30th, valid once per customer. Just enter the code KATIEJUN13.

You can visit KC Beautique here! 

I'd just like to say i am in no way being sponsored for this post, I'm just a tad excited about being able to get my paws on some reasonably priced Korean cosmetics here in the UK. I've even got a little review of the Skin79 Gold BB Cream, which they also stock, coming up soon!

 

I have reviewed the Skin79 Pink (a long, long time ago) here and the Skin Food Red Bean BB Cream here. If you'd like a review of any others or the Missha Perfect Cover (god knows why i haven't review that gem already) then let me know!

 

What is your go-to BB Cream?

 

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xox

Antipodes: Aura Manuka Honey Mask

 

Hii Lovelies!

This little beauty of a face mask has been on my wish list for such a long time, and finally a month or so ago i finally took the plunge and ordered it. I'm on a real Antipodes kick at the moment so this is the second, out of three products reviews. I've already raved about their Divine Oil, you can check that review out here!

Antipodes products boast a whole host of lovely ingredients, with many of their products being certified organic. Now if you've followed my blog for a while you'll know I'm an avid fan of the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel Mask, so it takes a lot to impress me. This mask uses the traditional New Zealand remedy of manuka honey, which is known for its anti-bacterial and hydrating properties. Perfect for me as i suffer with dry skin and blemishes! Its thick in consistency but a little goes a long, long way and the smell is just divine, the vanilla pod really stands out to me and there is just something about vanilla i find so relaxing!

I've been using this in rotation with my Papaya Enzyme as both work for different purposes. I'll use my Papaya first, as an exfoliant and then this to hydrate my skin after on a twice weekly basis. Even with all the hydrating claims its not at all heavy on the skin and leaves my face feeling soft and refreshed, so  I can see this working for nearly all skin types. Needless to say this is little gem has now become a permanent part of my skincare routine. I absolutely adore it!

 I purchased mine from Feel Unique for £21.50, and for 75ml of product is quite a steal for something so lovely! You can check it out here.

Feel Unique often have coupon codes running so keep your eyes out for one of those. You can currently save £12 on any order over £100 with the code 12offjune13.

What is your favourite face mask?

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xox

FOTD: Glasses Friendly Makeup

Hey lovelies!

I've been wearing glasses now for a good few months and finding makeup looks that don't look god awful with them has been a bit of a challenge. Mostly, I've been switching it up a lot with lipstick. Its been giving me a real excuse to have a good ol' rummage through my stash and pull out some unloved beauties as well as good some good use out of some of my old favourites.

I tried to escape wearing them on nights out as much as possible, but now I've been using them as a bit of a naughty excuse (to myself lol) not to wear a full on eye of makeup. So attempting flawless skin, a bright lip and a bit of winged liner has been the winning combo most of this month.

Eyes:
MUA - Eye Primer
Elf - Black Liquid Eyeliner
Anastasia - Brow Duo in Ash Blonde / Taupe

Lips:
YSL - Rouge Pur Couture The Mats 202

  Face:
 MAC - Strobe Cream
Benefit – Porefessional
Estee Lauder - Double Wear Foundation in Shell
Benefit - Hello Flawless Powder in Shell
Maybelline - Dream Lumi Concealer in Radiant
Laura Mercier - Secret Brightening Powder
NARS - Laguna Bronzer
Benefit - Bella Bamba Blush
MAC – Lightscapade
 MAC - Fix + 

What face have you been wearing lots this month? 

Link me your posts in the comments! 

xox