Topshop Coy Lip Stick

The Topshop make up range has just grown and grown in popularity since it begun but for some reason I never ever branched out to it! Up until purchasing this a few weeks ago I'd only ever owned one of their cream blushes which I've got to say is probably an all time favorite but never encouraged me to purchase more.

I'd heard quite a lot of hype surrounding the Coy Lip Stick and seeing as we are closely reaching the summer months (not you would even know with the weather in the UK at the moment!) I thought I'd give it a try. It's one of those pale, neon, bright lipsticks. The colour is gorgeous a really true peachy pink that in no way reflects orange on the lips. The consistency is more on the Matte side which I really like. I could see how this could be drying on someone with dryer lips but if you pop a bit of lip balm underneath you should be good to go!

I've used this when I've had tan on and when I'm at my palest (NW15 MAC) and it looks gorgeous against both. I do get quite apprehensive over these more "pale brights" against my pale complexion as I think it might look a bit too clown like, however I've found this to be perfect!

I would really recommend the shade and the product itself! I'm actually going shopping later so maybe I'll pick another up but to be honest I really do not need anymore lip products!

Hope you're all well!
Caterina xo

Bourjois Healthy Balence Unifying Powder

My Laura Mercier Loose Powder is on it's lasts legs and has barely any product left. I have a few powders which need using up but none of which I enjoy using. I'm not a big fan of MAC MSF Natural and I find it barely lasts an hour on my skin! Whilst in Boots purchasing some essentials I thought I'd take advantage of the 3 for 2 and purchase the Bourjois Healthy Balance Unifying Powder. I really love Healthy Mix foundation and have got through a hole bottle of it in the past so I thought the accompanying powder may possibly be a winner!

The powder claims to last 10 hours which we all know is a BOLD claim for any powder! However I was pleasantly surprised with the longevity of the product on my skin and found most of it still in tact by lunch time! The powder itself is super silky, almost cream like and glides gorgeously onto the skin. You are left with surprisingly a matte yet healthy looking finish. I found it did actually boost the radiance of my make up a bit and wore on the skin really nicely! I have combo skin and really enjoyed using this product.

Another thumbs up for Bourjois from me! I'm also a massive fan of their Volumizer mascara which has almost ran out and I think I will be lost until I repurchase it! I would definitely repurchase this powder however powder to me is one of those things I like to dabble in. I rarely repurchase the same powder again I like to try different ones and I personally don't find powder to be a crazily important step in my make up routine.

Thank you for reading!
Caterina xo

17 Instant Glow Pink Bronze Shimmer Brick

17 Instant Glow Pink Bronze Shimmer Brick £4.99 @ Boots

One thing I've not been wowed by yet at the drugstore is a highlighter. I love nipping into Boots and picking up bits and bobs but I must admit it's never a highlighting product. I've tried the No.7 skin illuminators and I wasn't too keen and found them way overpriced for what they did. I was having a browse through the 17 make up and came across the little bronzing section. They had such a great range of bronzing products I was highly impressed! I loved the look of these shimmer bricks (immediate thoughts being possibly a Bobbi Brown dupe?!). They had a more bronze shade but I really liked the look and swatch of pink bronze and thought it would be a little more of an illuminating product.

The colour of this product is gorgeous when swiped though all the shades! It comes off a really pretty rose gold colour with a bit of "bronzing" effect to it. I sweeped this onto the tops of my cheekbones and loved the effect it gave!  My cheeks looked glowy with a hint of colour that just looked healthy and flattering. You could obviously use this as more of bronzing by sweeping your brush through the brown shades. The next thing I'm looking forward to using this product for is on my eyes, I think it would look absolutely stunning on its own which some liquid liner.

I would really recommend this product. The powder is smooth and has brilliant pigmentation but is manageable. I would definitely say this is a more blush/highlight colour than bronzer though. The price is perfect for the product and definitely worth it, I'd even pay a little more!

Thank you for ready!
Caterina xo

MAC Azalea Blossom Blush Ombre

MAC Blush Ombre in Azalea Blossom @ Debenhams £20.50

This blush is a re-promote with the new Daphne Guinness collection. I can't remember the exact collection they last collection they came out with but I remember giving them a good eye up! Over the past 1-2 years "ombré" has taken over the hair world and now it's taking over the blush world!

Azalea Blossom is a gorgeous baby pink colour that can be deepened by swirling the brush in the more purple shade in the ombré. I love this blush for everyday use as it just gives a lovely pink hue to the cheek without being too crazy.

The blush ombré's are also larger than a regular at 9 grams. A regular MAC blush is 6 grams so that's a whole extra 3 grams of product, woooo!

I wouldn't say this is a MUST have for your collection to to be completely honest I'm a little disappointed in the colour I thought it would be more "wow". However I do find it useful for everyday wear and find its an easy blush to go to without fuss!

Lots of love, Caterina xo

Laura Mercier Luster Eyeshadow In Dusk

Laura Mercier Luster Eye Colour In Dusk @ John Lewis £18.50

In my recent "What I Bought" post I featured this gorgeous little eyeshadow after falling in love with it at the counter. Laura Mercier wasn't really a brand which excited me until recently when I bought there loose powder and fell in love! The first thing that drew me to this eyeshadow was the colour and the fact it was called a "luster" shadow. I absolutely love MAC luster finishes as they are super sparkly (which unfortunately comes at a price with the fall out!). I really wanted to see how the two compared.

I apply this to my lid usually using a MAC 239 or if I'm going for a more subtle "blendy blendy" look I'll use a Sigma E35. The eyeshadow is really nicely pigmented and transfers well on the lid. The colour just looks to die for and makes my green eyes stand out really well. The eyeshadow itself is very soft to touch not quite as buttery feeling as NARS but a close runner up! Some people find purples quite scary and hard to work with on the eye but I love a purple smokey eye and this makes a great all over lid base colour. 

Compared to MAC's luster finish shadows these are hardly as sparkly or chunky. The eyeshadow is what I would call "shimmery" it doesn't have visible glitter particles but still gives a nice sheen to the eye. My favorite way to wear this is with a bit of espresso blended through the crease or just with lots of mascara to create a really pretty "doll like" eye. 

 

The price might put some people off for a single eyeshadow, but they do have some really nice, eye catching shades. I would call this a nice every now and then treat for when I feel like buying a nice new eyeshadow.

Hope your all well.

Lots of love, Caterina xo

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator 50ml Tube available @ lizearle.com £9.25

I have never really been a big exfoliator person apart from for the body. I was given this particular one as a gift and thought it was my chance to really see if they made a difference to my skin. I kind of do gently exfoliate my skin twice a day when using the cleanse & polish but I guess thats not a proper thorough exfoliate.

The beads are very small and don't feel abrasive on the skin, I'm personally not a big fan of gritty exfoliators as after pro long use I find they make my skin dry and sensitive. It smells very clean and fresh like most Liz Earle products which I love! 

I applied the exfoliator  after my cleanse and polish to damp skin and buffed it in with my fingers. After washing away the product my skin instantly feels smoother! I honestly couldn't believe how smooth my skin felt as I already feel that the cleanse and polish leaves my skin smooth but this is on another level! I have found that after using this a few times my skin has been a lot clearer and looked a lot brighter and more "radiant" rather than dull like it usually does.

All in all I think this is a fabulous product and has really made me see the benefits in exfoliating your skin. I am so impressed with the results that I can definitely see myself purchasing the 70ml pump size which retails for £13.00. Liz Earle also do a 15ml tube for £5.00 which is perfect for people who would like to try it out.

Hope your all well and good!

Lots of love, Caterina xo

bareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation Review

I was given this as a Christmas present last year in a gift set, and only just got around to picking it up and using it! I was originally discarded it because I've always thought mineral foundation was a bit gymicy and in actual fact didn't do too much. The other week I was looking through my make up collection for a face setting powder as I wanted to experiment a bit beyond the world of MAC MSF Natural! I thought I'd give this a go and fell head over heels in love! It makes the skin feel so soft, but my favorite aspect of this product is that if used as a setting powder it doesn't eradicate the gorgeous finish your foundation gives you. So your skin remains healthy and glowy but NOT shiny or overly "dewy". I like to find the perfect in between for dewy and matte skin. I don't like being totally matte but I don't like looking like an oil slick! I think the "dewy" thing can be taken too far and generally just turn into oily looking skin rater than radiant. 

Another thing I adore about this product is that it's fantastic for building up extra cover in an area. I hate over concealer but with this powder I just buff a little extra over the problematic area and BOOM instant high coverage!

I've really never found something that makes my skin look so flawless and I will definitely not be discarding mineral products in the future. I've also noticed how much my skin has improved since using this which is something to look into! Over all I honestly give this product a 5/5, I am crazily impressed and will definitely be re purchasing!

The foundation comes in at a quite pricey £23.00, BUT can be bought discounted here for £19.55!