Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Glisten

Tarte's Amazonian 12 hour Clay blushes have caught my eye for a few years now but it wasn't until I was in the states this year that I remembered to pick one up. They are pricey at $24 each but I think that is the average for high end blushes. Tarte is a brand that is all about using natural ingredients and this is something I always love about products, as well as being cruelty free! This shade was released as part of their spring collection and they hadn't yet released any shimmer blushes within this range until now. Being a lover of shimmer blushes rather than matte, I went for this one. The only thing I didn't like whilst looking at this in Sephora was that they didn't have a tester for it so I didn't get to swatch it before buying. The packaging it comes in reflects the shade inside, and this had a shimmery case so I knew it was a shimmer blush. I usually stick to the same shade when trying out blushes and this is a pretty common shade, but I would love to try some of their other shades. Maybe something a bit more purple based.


Does this blush last 12 hours? Well from what I've noticed, yes it does. I can go out knowing that this is going to stay on for a long time, I don't really need a 12 hour blush, anything from 6 to 8 usually does me for every day but this is something I'd probably wear of a night when in a bar or club as that's when my makeup starts to wear off. So far I love this blush and it is very smooth and easy to blend onto the cheeks. 


Have you tried any Tarte products?

My first NARS product!

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this duo, I bought it from Sephora when I was out in the states. It's one of those things I'd wanted for a long while but the price always put me off buying it in favour of products that were new or limited edition. I was originally planning on buying the Orgasm and Laguna separately but they are just so expensive I went with the duo. I know that this is a little more expensive than an individual but it's also cheaper than buying them both separately even though you get less of each in this. I didn't want to spend out all that money and realize I didn't like either of them if you know what I mean. If I end up liking one more than the other then I would definitely repurchase the big one. 

I'm guessing most of you will own either of these already being so famous in the beauty world. I had to try it for myself after hearing so much hype!

The one thing I do love about NARS is their packaging. The matte finish looks so sleek and I've noticed a few other brands following this trend. The only problem is that it gets dirty so fast. I knew it would happen though even after wiping it over and trying my hardest to not get anything on it. Eventually I gave up lol It's what's inside that counts after all! Right?

I already have so many shades that are similar to Orgasm but it's my favourite type of pink and I do love shimmery blushes. This one is quite subtle though when I use it lightly and I think it looks best this way. It's not overly shimmery either, just enough for a glow. I'm not too fond of chunky glitter pieces. 

I love Laguna as a bronzer because it's not too light and not too dark. With Benefit's Hoola bronzer I find that it's too dark for my skin tone and doesn't blend well with it. I also like to use this lightly as a contour shade with Orgasm on the apple's of my cheeks. I like that this bronzer isn't completely matte either, it has very fine shimmery particles and blends with skin nicely.

I'm glad I finally purchased this and I do love it but it hasn't blown me away like it seems to have everyone else.

What do you think? Do you own either of these or are you thinking of purchasing them?

NARS products are available from www.houseoffraser.com www.narscosmetics.co.uk and from Sephora in the US.

This duo retails for £29 or £21 each

Nude Tude Palette

This is the first all "nude" palette I own. I haven't bought the naked, naked 2 or the natural eye palette's yet. Every time I go to buy them, some limited edition products/collection gets released and I find myself spending the money on that instead because the others "will always be there". This was probably the hardest to find palette I have ever purchased, including the Alice in Wonderland book of shadows long after it sold out. 

I knew I wanted to try this palette as soon as I'd discovered TheBalm brand and my love for it is increasing with each product. I did some searching online around November/December time and found a few UK websites that sold this… but to my disappointment they were all sold out. FeelUnique.com and Next.com both claimed to stock this item but still after 6 months of checking their websites neither have restocked and I doubt they ever will. I'd rather they just remove it altogether. 

{Free makeup bag with my order}

I finally decided to order from the official website but had to settle for the "nice" version. This palette comes in two different designs, the nice version and the naughty version. Basically as the palette is "nude" the naughty version has naked women behind each eye shadow pairing. Don't worry there isn't any real nudity it's just a bit of fun with packaging and I personally loved this idea. Unfortunately this version was sold out on TheBalm's website so I figured I'd purchase the nice version or else I could be waiting another six months before having the chance to buy it again. I think it's a good idea that they have the option to buy both as the naughty version may not be everyone's cup of tea. One thing I will mention is the shipping on this item was very reasonable (I shipped to a US address) and my items were shipped the day after purchase which I was very impressed with, I also received a free makeup bag with my order!

The packaging of this palette is very 50s style as with most of TheBalm's products. There are 12 eye shadows in total and comes with a double ended eyeshadow and liner brush. Each of the twelve shadows are named with an "S" word which I thought was a cute idea and ties the whole palette together. 

The shades in this palette are a little different compared to what I've seen in the Urban Decay palette's there seems to be a bit more colour which I think is great because they're subtle enough to still fit the description of "nude". There are no matte shades in this palette, some have a subtle sheen to them and the rest are quite shimmery but not in the chunky glitter way. As far as formula and colour pay-off goes, these eyeshadows are great quality very pigmented and smooth to apply. They're also quite long lasting and I never noticed them creasing. I would still recommend using a primer with them though. I haven't used the brush that comes with it as it looks quite scratchy but I keep it in there anyways in case I ever have to use it. 

This palette costs $36 and is available from www.thebalm.com and www.sephora.com 

Have you used this palette? Are you looking to purchase it? What is your favourite nude palette?

It's my pink by Betsey Johnson

The new Betsey Johnson range for Sephora by O.P.I is something I'd had my eye on for a while. Especially with the release of a new scented nail polish. It's called "It's my pink" and it's scented with Betsey's latest perfume "Too Too". I hadn't actually smelled this perfume until I bought this polish. The consistency of this I found to be a bit more watery than most O.P.I polishes, maybe this is due to it being scented. You don't actually smell the scent until the polish has actually dried on your nails which I think is a nice touch because it helps last longer. Throughout the day the smell will fade but I found that even after a day or two there is still a little left. I don't own a polish of this colour yet either, so that was a bonus for me. What do you think of it? Will you be purchasing it? Do you like the idea of a scented nail polish?

Love At First Blush

Stila is a brand I always wanted to try more of but just wasn't sure what products to try. I already own a blush by them which I bought on sale from the Debenhams website but had never gone further than that. I had seen some of their previous limited edition products before but had never been able to get my hands on them. You'll probably know from my previous posts that if a product has cute packaging/looks pretty then I'm all over it. I'd seen this blush and knew I wanted to try it. Then I found the gift set with the 2 lip glosses. The blush itself retails for $14 and the set sells for $20 so $6 for 2 lip glazes I thought was a bargain. I purchased this from the Sephora amazon store. It is still available from the Sephora website which also has the individual blush. Not sure if they sell in stores though. 

The blush palette comes with three colours, a light lilac pink, a bubblegum pink and a more vibrant pink. The design is embossed with hearts. The top and bottom shades are more shimmery than the middle, however when applied the shimmer is quite subtle and not as harsh as in the photo. When applying this I sweep my brush downwards and then sideways so that I can try to get an even amount of all three rather than having three lines of colour. These shades can also be used separately. 

The two lip glazes came in the colours Pinkle Twinkle and Bubble Gum. Pinkle Twinkle is a shimmery berry/corally colour and Bubble Gum is more of a subtle pink when applied. I'd never used a Stila lip glaze before and was eager to apply it because I hadn't used a brush tip applicator either. You get 1.5 ml of product and to apply you need to turn the top to get the product out. I liked the brush tip which made it easy to apply. I'm definitely a fan of Stila more so now after trying this. 

You can buy Stila Cosmetics from www.stilacosmetics.com and they now have a UK website www.Stila.co.uk. You can also purchase from boots stores and www.boots.com & www.debenhams.com

Have you tried any of these products? Have you tried any Stila products before? Are you a fan of this brand?

The Pretty Committee

I'm always on the look out for sales/bargains on cosmetics, especially the high end products as sometime's it can get pricey. I managed to find this benefit set at Sephora and as Benefit cosmetics rarely go on sale I decided to get it. As far as I know this set isn't available in the UK or from the Benefit official website so I'm assuming it's a Sephora exclusive. It's a shame we don't have a Sephora in the UK anymore because it's still has stores around Europe. I hope they consider at least shipping to the UK. 

This set retails for $38 and it's value is $86 so there's quite a big saving. The set includes Stay Don't Stray Primer, Bella Bamba boxed powder, Eye Bright, and High Beam travel size. 

Three of the items in this set I was planning on buying anyway and the High Beam I already have so I think I might give this away to my sister because I have too much high beam already.

The Bella Bamba blush does have a sweet smell to it, I've heard it's supposed to be water melon which I kind of get. As always with Benefit boxed powders, there is some novelty which I like because it helps you remember the brand. This blush does have some shimmer to it so if you are more of a matte person you may not like this. The blush has a good colour payoff but I would recommend starting out with a small amount of product because a little can go a long way with this and if you want to you can then build it up. It's easier to add than take away. I've been wearing this blush almost every day. I think this would be the perfect colour to have with a tan in the summer. Retails for £23.50/$28

 

The stay don't stray primer can be used for both concealer and eyeshadows, although I have never heard of priming specifically for concealer. Anyone done it? does it work? I'd like to try it for concealer but not sure if it would be too much, I already prime my face with one or two primers then add concealer and foundation. I like the packaging on this with the exception of the pump, it's hard to control how much product comes out and even when pressing slowly it still gives too much. I would say one slow pump is enough to do both eyelids and perhaps under eye concealer. I like that this product covers veins and discolouration which gives you an even base to work on. Retails for £19.50/$26

The eye bright stick is a milky pink nude colour with a creamy consistency, it also blends easily if you are looking for a less harsh line. I've been looking for a white eyeliner for a while as I've heard so many people say it really helps brighten the eye. I usually line my waterline with black so to have something a bit lighter is a nice change. Something I also like about this is that it's not a pure white so it won't give such a harsh look. It can be used to highlight the waterline/inner eye and the brow bone. Retails for £14/$20

High Beam is probably a highlighter you've heard a lot about, I've already got the full size and travel size versions of this so am no stranger to it. This is a liquid highlighter for the cheeks that is a milky pink colour with a tad of shimmer. I usually like to dot 3 times on the upper cheek and then lightly blend them in so it gives a natural look. Retails for £18.50/26 full size.

The back of the box also has a kind of how to manual, I know most are pretty straight forward but it could help with better application and is a great idea for anyone who is new to makeup or the brand.

Have you tried any of these products? Are you a fan of Benefit cosmetics? Would you recommend any of these products?

NOTD: It's Bouquet With Me

On my nails today I'm wearing a polish by Sephora by O.P.I called It's Bouquet With Me.


I picked up this polish in California last year, the Sephora Range is a bit more expensive than the regular O.P.I polishes. The glitter is purple and silver and is very fine. It takes a while to dry so layering it on can take a bit of time. I have layered this 4/5 times to get the effect in the photos.