MUA Lash Boom Mascara

MUA have recently launched their latest mascara, promising volume and length. Lash Boom Mascara (MUA, £3.00) features a rather odd looking bristled wand, with a contoured end, which will allow you to catch the tiniest of lashes in the inner and outer corners, to create a fanned out effect. I found the wand tricky to use at the beginning, but that's because I am used to a particular wand at a time. My preferred wand does consist of bristles, rather than a comb or plastic bristles. Once you familiarise yourself with how the wand fits and combs through your lashes, you're away! I used the wand in the same technique as I would with a typically shaped wand and found it really did grab my lashes. The first coat initially coated my lashes, like any other mascara would. The second coat is where I was really wowed. The mascara seems to work in sync with each coat, rather than taking some of the already mascara applied away, etc. It clung to the tacky lashes, and genuinely added volume and drama.

In the shots above, I have no eye make up on, just so you can tell exactly what it is doing to my lashes. From before to after, there is a significant difference, and you can imagine what the finished lashes would look like with my completed face of makeup. I found the formula of the mascara to be just right. There is nothing more annoying than a fresh mascara, and the formula is too wet, y'know - when you have to use it a few unsatisfying times until it becomes the right consistency. MUA Lash Boom Mascara offers what you're looking for, at a fraction of the price of other high street mascaras, for £3!

 

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Illamasqua Electrify Lipgloss and Vernau Eyeshadow

This must be a shocking statement to make for a beauty blogger, but I have never indulged in any Illamasqua products. I adore scrolling through their Instagram feed, and I love what they stand for - but I do steer more towards high street products. As of late, Illamasqua have been holding their infamous £5, £7.50, £10, £20 sales, showcasing a huge array of products, suitable for many budgets. Of course, as my purse strings don't stretch too far, I opted for the £5 sale, which offers a selection of eyeshadows, eyeliners, lipglosses, nail polishes, false eyelashes, and more. This is a great time to check out their sale, especially if you're an Illamasqua newbie!

My first purchase, is a Lipgloss in the shade Electrify (RRP £14.50). Now, I am not a lipgloss girl. Typical statement to make, but I loathe the sticky residue, and most times, the intensely wet glossy finish. I thought I would branch out of my comfort zone and give one another try. Electrify is a light pink shade. Nothing loud or offensive, which is something that drew me to it. I know I will be able to reach for this straight away, without hesitating whether it will clash with the rest of my makeup. As Illamasqua is a high end brand, I had an inkling it wouldn't be as bad as I thought. That, it was not. I found this Sheer Lipgloss actually quite pigmented. I had planned to purchase a pink lipstick to wear beneath the gloss, although I feel as though the pigment in the gloss is enough to add something extra to the face and finish off the look.

My second purchase, was influenced by a current product I am using. Lately, I have been using one shade from a 12 pan palette. It's a brown blending shade, which I simply apply to the crease. The only problem, is that it is running low and I hate having a full palette for one shade in use. Vernau (RRP £15.50) is described as Yellow Ochre. I myself, am not familiar with that description, but I would class it as a warm brown. That shade you use as a blending base. Of course, I am happy to report the pigmentation is amazing, which comforts me to know this will keep me going for a while. I also love the simple black packaging, perfect to fit in my makeup bag. 

What is your favourite Illamasqua product? Did you snap anything up in the sale?
 

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Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation | Worth the hype?

Not too long ago, Tesco had an offer on for Rimmel foundation, for £5. This was too much of a good deal to pass up on! Originally, I was deliberating between Wake Me Up and Match Perfect, although I seriously struggled matching myself up with the latter. They had an amazing pale shade, which is so rare to come by in high street brands, although I ummed and ahhed whether it was actually TOO pale. Something I never thought would say! Never the less, I opted for the highly raved Wake Me Up and I chose the lightest, I believe, 100 Ivory.

I generally stick with Bourjois, as their lightest shade compliments my skin tone, so it was interesting to return to an old favourite brand throughout my teens. Firstly, I must mention the shade. I, and many others on Twitter (@LuceeLoves) found the lightest shade too dark, orange and difficult to work with. I still agree, although I have found I just need to work a little more and blend away to achieve a flawless colour base, with no unblended edges! I have oily/combo skin, and this foundation is aimed to awaken your skin, giving a luminous and refreshed finish. This does entail finely milled shimmer. Not initially noticeable at all, although I found throughout the day wearing tbis, my pores appear significantly pronounced. I am in the midst of finding successful soloutions to tighten my pores, but this product just seems to highlight them. I have tried Benefit Porefessional and 17 Primer beneath it, with no avail. Again, another aspect and reason I have to work with it. However, I do find myself returning to it. It does have something special about it, that makes me believe my skin does look 'woken up'. I must say, this has generous coverage. I use a pump and a bit, which covers my face and hides redness and blemishes. I find whilst using this, I really only need concealer for under my eyes.

So, is this really worth the hype? If you're prepared to do a little more work to achieve the lusted luminous and refreshed look, then pop yourself down to Boots, ASAP! Now I have it, and have worn it on several occassions, I wouldn't say I would repurchase, as this isn't best suited to my skin tone or type. Although, have all #bbloggers jumped on a makeup bandwagon? What's your thoughts?

Little Life Update..

I thought I would post a quick rambly post, just to catch up with everyone. This past week has been so busy and flustered, I haven't even had time to religiously watch my YouTube subscriptions! Last week, I was given the opportunity for a work trial at the oh so glam Poundworld. A job is a job, though! I was literally told the day before, so I had to manically buy new work clothes, arrange transport, etc. I have just finished my 5 days trial there. Everyone was lovely and it's not a bad place to work! I found that I had no time for myself, let alone housework, the other half, etc. If I do get the job, I have learnt to prioritise, as getting home at 7pm leaves me with no time for anything! Life, eh! I'm so looking forward to earning my own wage, though!

Aside from busy life! Last week, I also received my prize from Tattooed Tealady, Sleeks Blush By 3 Candy Collection Blush Palette. SO lovely! She also threw in some samples, which was a kind surprise! Also on the beauty front, my second Illamasqua purchase arrived! Woo! I ordered an eyeshadow in the shade Vernau, to replace an MUA one, for my crease. I LOVE it! Naturally, I will be reviewing them - so keep your eyes peeled!

So that's my little natter for the day! I have been so preoccupied, today is my first day off, so I'm busying myself with much needed housework, laundry, etc! How exciting! Not all bad, though.. I will be squeezing in some YouTube! ;)

What have you all been upto?

Sleek Blush By 3 Candy Collection

This summer, Sleek launched their Candy Collection, featuring three blush shades, with three finishes; cream, matte and shimmer. A lovely little selection of something different, in one handful size. What is lovely about this palette, is the three shades; they look individual worn alone, or you can layer them together, which compliment each other seamlessly.

 

Blush By 3 Candy Collection Sweet Cheeks (Sleek, £10.00) is the first Sleek product I have tried, and I luckily won this Limited Edition palette through Tattooed Tealady's June Giveaway! I enter so many competitions, and rarely win anything, so this was super exciting news to finally try something I entered to win! I am quite a heavy handed person when it comes to applying make up, so when I use my usual FashionistA Blush in New York (Superdrug, £4.00), I don't need to worry about applying too much, as the pigmentation is quite weak, leaving me with a subtle glow, which doubles as a highlighter, and pinched cheeks look. It was realty refreshing to experiment with different shades of blush, I normally would have been too nervous to try. I would never have dreamed of picking up a lilac toned blush, but in fact, this is my favourite of them all! Dolly Mix (centre shade) is the matte finish out of the trio, which again, is different to what I usually wear. For being an unusual shade to what I am used to, I find this compliments any eye look I go for; which is typically a contoured neutral eye and liquid liner flick. I have quite fair skin tone, so this really does pop against my skin and adds something special, when I go simple on the rest of my makeup.

 

The cream finish of the trio, is the shade Cupcake (left shade). Again, I found this has a warm, purple undertone, but is very bright and adds an instant pop of colour. It's been a good few years since I have used cream blushes, but the pigmentation of this blush is immense. The product picks up so easily with one swipe and gives such an impact of colour. When initially swatching, I barely touched the pan, as I didn't want to stick my mitts straight into it, and the above swatch transferred. In comparison to the other two powder shades, you can see they would work perfectly in combination with the cream, to set it and give the blush longevity. Lastly, is the shimmer of the trio; Candy Floss (right shade). This is so pretty to look at - a bright coral pink, with subtle gold flecks running through it. This shade is super pigmented, so a little will go a long way, as once it is on, it is on! For being a powder blush, this has the impact and longevity of a cream.

 

What is your favourite Sleek product? I am so impressed with this Blush By 3 palette, I'm really interested to see what their eyeshadows have to offer!

 

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BakerDays Personalised Letterbox Cake

The lovely people over at BakerDays sent me a generous tweet, offering me the opportunity to sample their cakes. Now, I am the biggest sweet tooth, so who am I to say no to free cake?! At this point, I was also very intrigued to determine how I would receive the cakes, if they would be fresh and whether they would be damaged in transport. I emailed the company, who informed me they offer an option to order a Letterbox Cake, which is exactly that. Such a cool concept, I think!

I was offered to send them any design/image I desired, so I thought it was only apt to send in my blog header. I did note in the email, that I would have had a floral border or some kind, if I had more time, so I proceeded to send my simple blog header. To my absolute surprise, the cake arrived with the most pretty and delicate floral arrangement, surrounding the border of the cake. This made me feel really passionate about the company, as they are happy to cater and meet all of your needs, and I think this is such an important aspect to a company, to create relationships, as well as a customer/company ratio.

I was initially sceptical to see how I would receive the Letterbox Cake. One morning I heard a thud, in comparison to my normal post. My cake had arrived! I opened the securely closed box, to discover a round metal tin, a little packet of balloons, candles and a gift card. This is such a thoughtful and independent touch to add, as since you are ordering an online cake, it could be no surprise that you forget to pick up those pesky candles, or missing some balloons! 

Inside the tin, is your perfect cake! On the lid of the tin is a patch of padding, to soften any blow to transportation, securing your cake. The cake is encased in a clear protective sleeve, with a strip of paper across, which enables you to remove the delicate cake, successfully. I thought all of these touches were so lovely.

The cake itself is delicious, need I say more? I received the Carrot cake, although they do offer many flavours, including Sponge, Fruit, Belgian Chocolate Chip and also Gluten and Wheat Free cakes. I have actually only recently got into carrot cake, which is good timing! For anyone interested or wondering, I found the carrot cake subtle and delicate, and nothing to overpowering for it's size. This Letterbox Cake is suitable for around 3-4 portions, which is perfect for a little get together with family and friends, or a surprise to your loved one. I really do love the aspect of being able to order a cake online, with any flavour and design, and the complete comfort of knowing it will arrive at the recipients successfully, whether they are home or not. I can just imagine anyone's face lighting up as soon as they set their eyes on this beauty!

Letterbox Cake's retail at £14.99, and you receive all of the named above, including the 5 inch cake of your choice.

Have you tried a BakerDays cake before?

Love, Lucy. x

Face Mask Friday | Montagne Jeunesse Prickly Pear Peel Off

I'm particularly partial to a face mask, actually, quite recently I have been sporting one every few days, to help clear up my skin. The latest one I have been trying, is good 'ol Mudd mask. I find this great to (I'm sorry), drag out all the impurities and gunk from my face. Repetition can get a little boring, so to mix it up, I chose this Montagne Jeunesse Prickly Pear Peel Off (RRP £1-£1.29) out from my stash. Now, I have a love/hate relationship with peel offs. I think they're a great idea, but they can be a little misleading and messy. I'm the time of gal that likes to have a soak, face mask and rinse in one go. Whereas with a peel off, you need a non steamy atmosphere to let it really set.

Montagne Jeunesse have rarely let me down with any of their products. I have always been a fan, as much as I did when my Mam introduced me to them, when I was a teen. I am particularly in love with their dual face masks, with the added sachet of moisturiser. I think they are a great concept. If my skin is feeling a little down in the dumps, I will instantly reach for MJ face mask. Back to the Prickly Pear - What a strange name, is this an actual fruit? You tell me! This has the legendary gorgeously fruity scent, that no one can turn their nose up at. On the peeling side of things, I applied mine before my face, so I could remove the residue then. Once applied, I gave it 1-15 minutes whilst I pottered about (alternatively, you could relax!). I always find that the perimeter of my face never sets as well as well as around my nose and cheeks. Anyone else? Nevertheless, once it has set as much as it can, it peels away fairly easily. I have a strange and satisfying love for removing this plasticy material that has transformed from the once jelly like consistency, form out of the packet. I really feel like these pull out the nasties, but do leave a residue, which I go back and cleanse away. 

I will always return to Montange Juenesse for face masks. Always have and always will. They are hugely recognised for their difficult to pronounce name, eye catching packaging and promising product.

Do you have a favourite face mask? Do tell!

Love Lucy. x