Sleek Blush by 3: Lace

I know I said that this week was gonna be mainly skincare but, in an attempt to be more organised, I did photos for some new Sleek goodies at the same time and decided that this little beauty couldn't wait. The Sleek Blush By 3 palettes aren't a recent thing. They landed last year in Superdrug stores and online. At the time I picked up the 'Pumpkin' palette (my post on this can be found Here) and missed out on 'Lace' (it always seemed to be sold out) but it occurred to me recently that I hadn't bought any new Sleek products in a while and I went along to Superdrug and came out with this. 

I think it's safe to say that this is such a pretty blush palette. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Sleek are my favourite drugstore brand for blushes and these palettes are great value (3 full size Sleek blushes for £9.99 vs 3 single blushes from their core selection at £4.99 each). This shade palette is much more subtle than 'Pumpkin' but just as pigmented and buildable. This is one that I feel like I will use all year round for both day to day and evening makeup.

The Shades Are....

Crochet (Matte)

A slightly muted deep orange/peach 

Guipure (Shimmer)

A cool-ish toned pink with a stunning gold shimmer

and

Chantilly (Satin)

A deep reddened pink which looks different in different lights

Just as I have come to expect from Sleek, these shades were a pleasure to swatch and took little building to show the true colour. I'd say this palette is perfect for fair to medium skin tones. The texture is very blendable so, even if you find you've put a bit too much on your brush, they're easily evened out with a few strokes. Guipure has the most beautiful sheen (this photo really does not do it justice) and could give the infamous NARS Orgasm a run for it's money. I think Chantilly will get the most use out of the bunch but we'll see. I also love these Sleek blush palettes for travelling because they're so compact (saves makeup bag space for more lippy hehe) and have a GREAT size mirror. 

 All Sleek products can be found in selected Superdrug stores and online. The Blush By 3 palettes come in 5 different shade combinations to suit different skin tones and cost £9.99. Browse all the shades at

 sleekmakeup.com

Do you love Sleek blushes?? What are your favourite drugstore brands for blush?? What other Sleek products can't you live without??

MAC All About Orange Purchases!

Okaaaay so I was only just chatting about MAC Morange lipstick a couple of posts ago.... BUT, in my defence, as a lover of orange and peachy tones I could not let the new MAC All About Orange collection pass me by. I haven't got excited about any MAC stuff in a fair while and I ordered myself a couple of bits from this collection last week as a special treat for handing in my last University assignment. I was very restrained and did not order a lot from the gorgeous selection on offer, but I managed to get the two items I wanted before anything started to sell out. 

'Royal Sunset' is a powder blush in a satin finish, described by MAC as a 'soft, cool peach'. It's unlike any other shade I currently own and leans much more pink than any of my other peachy blushers. I do think it's warmer in tone than they'd have you believe though. I'm a warm toned lady and I love the glow this gives on me. I'd imagine that this blush could work for most skintones though. Its pink enough for the paler/cooler ladies with enough of an orange hue to keep the warmer girlies happy.

 

Sweet and Sour is a Cremesheen finish and is described as a 'soft peach cream' with a warm undertone. I knew I would adore this shade because I LOVE my Shy Girl which, I'd say, is a sheerer. more muted version of this lipstick. As with Royal Sunset, it is just that little bit more pink than any of my other peach lipsticks (such as Sleek Peaches and Cream which is heavily orange based). I also favour a Cremesheen finish and can probably say that it is my favourite of the MAC finishes. This HAD to be ordered. 

I love love love how gorgeous these shades look with a bit of a tan (fake, of course, for now). On me, peach shades just seem to make my face glow. I've also got newly blonder hair and I just think these products make it look so summery and it's a look I'm happy to wear now that the sunshine is out in force! Royal Sunset doesn't have any major shimmer to it, which I like, as this means I can either wear it natural and toned down, or add a sweep of Lightscapade or Illamasqua Gleam for a more radiant peach flush. Sweet and Sour is a seriously creamy lipstick shade and is just so pretty.

I went a bit heavy on the blush for this photo just so that I could get it to show up properly for the photos. But only by a little. How you see it in this photo is how it would appear with a little lighter hand in the flesh. For the sake of this post I'm wearing the lipstick on its own here, but I would be interested to experiment with different liners for it. I can imagine it working with pink, orange or nude toned lip pencils. Sweet and Sour really does give a lovely colour with a creamy texture which lasted around 3.5hrs on me before I felt the need to reapply.

Sweet and Sour is flagging up as out of stock currently on the UK MAC site, but it's only just hitting MAC stores and counters so I imagine there are still plenty out there to be had. Royal Sunset is still available though and you can browse the full collection here at maccosmetics.co.uk. I was seriously tempted by Razzledazzler lipstick as well but I have to be careful with my pennies as a student. I'm so glad I snapped up the items I did though. I'm all set for summer now!!

Did you go for the All About Orange collection?? What items did you pick up?? What items are on your wishlist?? Do you go potty for peach in the Summer months??

Summer Blush Crush Pt2: Illamasqua SOPHIE

So it appears I've developed ANOTHER unexpected summer blush crush in recent weeks... and it just so happens that it's ANOTHER Illamasqua product. You can read about my obsession with Illamasqua cream blush in Rude Here but the product I want to talk about today is their powder blush in S.O.P.H.I.E. 

Before I start to wax lyrical about how much I love this blush, I'd just like to take a bit of time to explain how Illamasqua and S.O.P.H.I.E came to pass. These products are named in memory of a girl named Sophie Lancaster who was tragically beaten along with her partner just because they looked different and dressed differently. Sadly, Sophie passed away from her injuries that night but her memory and name live on in the charity set up by her mother, Sylvia, who now dedicates her life to educating young people on tolerance and accepting people from all walks of life nomatter how they look or dress. Her tireless efforts were noticed by Illamasqua and, together, they are raising awareness. I'd love it if you'd take the time (if you haven't already) to read a little more about Sophie's story and watch the video commissioned by Illamasqua illustrating Sophie's final moments. Both can be found Here on the Illamasqua website and are truly touching as well as inspirational.

Sophie's namesake blush came as part of the Generation Q collection released by Illamasqua in September 2012. I'm so late to the party with this collection and finally came upon this blush just last month but I'm more than making up for it now. Illamasqua describe this shade as a golden coral shimmer, which is pretty spot on in my view. The shade can look slightly different in different lights. In these photos the light has brought out the pink in it, but in other lights it can look more reddened but it is just stunning. It's a similar colour to BeneFit Coralista but, true to Illamasqua, it's deeper and more pigmented and has more of a sparkle to it, whereas Coralista has more of a subtle 'sheen'. S.O.P.H.I.E highlights perfectly as well as adding a beautiful coral flush.

I apply this product with my Real Techniques blush brush or my MAC 168 depending on what effect I'm going for. If I want a full of flush of coral I'll use the former and, for more precise application to the cheekbones, the latter. Guess I'm a bit whited out in this photo from having to stand RIGHT next to the window, but you can still see it on my cheekbones. Where did the sunshine go, seriously?? It's all dark again.

Do you go nuts for Illamasqua blushers?? What are your favourite shades?? Were you touched by Sophie Lancaster's story??

My Summer Blush Crush: Illamasqua Rude

Oh HAAAAAIII!!!

My sincere apologies my lovelies. It's been a bloody WEEK since I last posted. Big thumbs down! In truth, I took my camera and looooads of stuff away with me last week that I wanted to blog about but, stoopid Lisa forgot a couple of key items which lead to the lack of posting since last Friday. Good news is I'm back in London now and have access to my entire stash, as well as some new goodies so normal service can be resumed!! 

I'm here tonight to wax lyrical about a blush I've been CRAVING lately since the weather got so much brighter and lovelier. I pined for it every day while i was away so physically JUMPED upon it as soon as I got back, and haven't let it go!!

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Rude

Illamasqua have some of my favourite cheek products of all time. In fact, I don't own nearly as much Illamasqua as I would like to (main reason being, I can't afford it), but I've fallen head over heels in love with both the company and their products in the last year or so. I just really warm to the philosophy and message behind their products. I too believe that amazing, groundbreaking makeup should be accessible for all, regardless of their age, skin colour or walk of life. Everyone deserves the right to feel and look amazing and should never be intimidated by any product or makeup counter and feel totally free to experiment!

Rude is one of their cream formula blushes. It's a beautiful, creamy, peachy coral-type shade with no shimmer, just warm, glowy loveliness. I'm completely in love with it. It's so well pigmented yet blends into the skin so well to give a subtle, warm flush or can be built up for more of a WOW effect. I love that Illamasqua cream products are intended to be multi-use as well and I often wear Rude on my lips. I like to wear it on both cheeks AND lips sometimes and it really just ties my makeup together and gives a simple, peachy makeup look that i adore for Spring/Summer.

Apologies for the slightly fuzzy iPhone selfie. I had to rush out earlier for a meeting and didn't have time to fire up the DSLR (and i find the iPhone very handy for self-portraits). Luckily the photo still demonstrates how warm and peachy my skin looks when I'm wearing this product. It is on both my cheeks and lips in this photo and is just a really simple Summer daytime kinda look for me. I'm also wearing Illamasqua Skinbase foundation here (shade 9).

If you haven't tried Illamasqua's cream blushers yet I'd HIGHLY recommend that you give them a whirl! They're so versatile and easy to blend as well as having an AMAZING shade range to choose from. Seriously, you can go as subtle or as RAWR as you like! The other shade I have is Dixie, but I have my eye on Laid and Promise for the future. My Illamasqua wishlist is as long as my arm!

Browse all the shades at illamasqua.com. These blushers retail for 18.50 each. Why not treat your cheeks for the summer? They'll surely thank you for it!

What are your Illamasqua Favourites?? Do you have any favourite cheek colours for glowy, summer makeup?? What are your essentials??

Updated: What's in my Travel Makeup Bag??

Hello lovelies!!

Some of you know that i am currently making a weekly commute from London to Derbyshire for University, which involves me staying a couple of nights at my parents house per week. Obviously i don't take my entire makeup arsenal with me every time, but i decided earlier that i'd give you a little nosey into my travel makeup bag so you can see what my essentials are and also what products i use on my face for a normal, uneventful uni day. I quite like reading these types of posts so i thought maybe you would too. Once again i missed the last of the daylight for this post so have had to brighten the photos slightly. Fed up of these dark winter days. ROLL ON SUMMER ALREADY!! I'm fed up on relying on flash.

The Makeup Bag...

My current travel makeup bag of choice is this pretty Cath Kidston one that i got on eBay (Link). This particular design is currently out of stock but they have others and will probably restock. It comes with a matching circular mirror at a really great price. Well worth checking out. As you all know i ADORE anything Cath Kidston. The Liz Earle zippy bag is what i carry my brushes in as well as my foundation (as it doesn't fit in the makeup bag). 

Base...

New CID i-Prime*

and

Look Beauty Airbrush Base in Medium

I love this combo for day to day lately as it is no effort to apply and lasts really well. I haven't been using either of these products for very long so am still getting used to them but so far i'm very impressed with both. Watch out for a review of the LookBeauty foundation coming soon. 

Cheeks...

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus

and

Look Beauty Make Me Blush in Pinch

My MSF is a staple in my everyday makeup bag so i have to include it in my travel bag too. I find a quick dusting of it quickly sets my foundation, gets rid of any remaining shine and prepares my skin for whatever blush or bronzer i feel like putting on. This week my blush of choice is this one from LookBeauty but i tend to switch it up depending on my mood. Usually it is MAC Sunbasque or my NYX blush stick but i just fancied this one this week. The compact also has a really good size mirror so i find it handy for carrying around in my handbag for uni as well. 

Eyes...

BeneFit Creaseless Cream Shadow in Sippin'n'Dippin

Maybelline Gel Liner in Black

and

Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black

I really don't do anything fancy with my eyes for everyday wear so i tend to pack light. I don't always put colour on my lid to be honest but, when i do, its usually just a subtle wash of one of the Creaseless Creams applied with my finger followed by a sweep of gel eyeliner, which has become my favourite form of eyeliner in recent months. I use the Clinique Mascara (think this was a freebie in a magazine at some point) purely because it's a handy size for fitting in a small makeup bag, but i actually really like the mascara itself and will probably repurchase! 

Lips...

Rimmel Apocalips in Luna

Pillsbury Reindeer Sugar Cookie Lip Balm

MAC Honeylove (Left)

and

MAC Shy Girl (Right)

My lip products actually tend to be IN my handbag and not in my makeup bag, purely because i always reach for the same ones on a day to day basis so they are always with me whether i'm travelling or not. Apocalips is a new addition obviously (see previous post) but Honeylove and Shy Girl are my staple lip colours and i would be lost without them. They just never let me down. I guess they're quite similar really. The Pillsbury lip balm was a present from my housemate for Christmas as a bit of fun but it's a really great lip balm! It's relieved my sore lips on several occasions in the recent bitter weather. 

Brushes...

(Left to Right)

Royal and Langnickel Eyeliner Brush

Elf Blush Brush

Real Techniques Foundation Brush

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

and

Real Techniques Powder Brush

Don't think i need to explain what each of these brushes are for, and i KNOW i don't need to preach to you all on how amazing Real Techniques brushes are because i'm sure you're all already converted to Sam Chapman's brilliance. I find the Elf blush brush really versatile for cheeks as you can use it flat or on its side or just the very tip so it's great for travel as a contour, blush and highlight brush in one! Not sure why i'm carrying both the foundation AND stippling brush at the moment but i tend to alternate between the two depending on what foundation i'm using and i'm still experimenting with this one so i guess that's the reason. 

Hope you enjoyed a quick peek into my travel makeup bag. I haven't done a makeup bag post in a while and it was interesting for me to consider why i use what i use.

What makeup do you pack when travelling?? What are your essentials?? 

Half Price Look Beauty HAUL!!

Good morning my lovelies!!

My Instagram followers reading this will already know that i went a bit NUTS when i heard that Look Beauty were having a 50% off Sale in Superdrug this month. And my local one in Streatham just happens to stock it! Needless to say, i was off up there faster than a greased weasel.... and i actually went back TWICE more in the last week! Naughty naughty... Anyhoo i thought i'd do a little post to let you all see what i got.

Okay so it's not a MASSIVE haul... but for me this is the most drugstore makeup i've bought over a short period of time in quite a while! Especially from just one brand. In fact, these are my first ever Look Beauty purchases (apart from a single lipstick which i reviewed HERE) and i wanted to get my money's worth while everything was such a great price!! 

Nail Pop - £5 Each (I paid £2.50)

To be honest it was only really these that i first went in for. I've heard quite a lot about these polishes and i knew i had to get some while they were such a low price. The shades are as follows...

(L-R)

Kimono

Bling

Petticoat

Dorothy

The only one i have reviewed so far is Dorothy (post can be found HERE) but expect to see all featured on this blog during the course of the next few weeks.

Make me Blush Powder Blusher: Pinch £8 (I paid £4)

This is a bit of a different colour choice for me. It's a lot cooler in tone than i would usually go for. I expected to go straight for 'Rosy', which i do still want but i was admiring this colour so much and i find it so much easier to try new things when they're on offer. I haven't really had much opportunity to play around with it yet, but from a preliminary swatch the pigmentation looks really promising! I will report back.

Holiday Glow Bronzer: Rio £8 (I paid £4)

I grabbed this because i've been looking for a slightly darker bronzer for a little while now. I can't really afford to repurchase my shattered NARS Laguna yet (seriously upset with myself for managing to destroy something so beautiful) and wanted something that i could put in my travel bag as a bronzer/contour multitasking product. I'm hoping this might be it!!

Airbrush Base: Medium £12 (I paid £6)

I've heard amazing things about this foundation and i'm so excited to try it out. There will definitely be a review popping up on this at some point. It's a medium coverage, which is my preferred kind, and the shade match is great. I've had a little feel of it on the back on my hand and can't wait to play with it properly. I have really high hopes so i hope it doesn't let me down! 

Eye Brightener £4 (I paid £2)

Hmmm... I already have the BeneFit eye bright, but this nude shade really appealed to me as a more subtle tone as the BeneFit one (although i love it) is quite pale and pinky toned. It's also quite chunky, while this pencil is the same as a regular eyeliner. Hoping i will be able to use both to create different effects.

Loud Lips Liner: Rock Candy £4 (I paid £2)

There is a lipstick of the same name to go along with this product but it just looked so RAWR that i couldn't bring myself to buy it. I have fuchsia lipsticks already that i hardly wear. I bought this liner specifically to go with my MAC Quick Sizzle lipstick but i'm going to try it with other pinks such as my Viva Glam Nicki and Chatterbox and see what looks i can create.

Double Hit Lip: Berry Blast £8 (I paid £4)

I'm still on a mission to find a shade of purple lipstick that will suit me. I have green eyes so, in theory, it should be a match made in heaven, but my warm skintone is seriously hindering me!! I love that this one has a gloss with it that i can use on its own for a more subtle in situations colour when the lipstick is too daring. Can't wait to play with this badboy!! Expect swatches soon. 

As far as i know, Look Beauty is still half price in Superdrug (the last time i went in was Monday of this week), but the half price offer seems to have disappeared on their website. There are still markdowns to be had though! The blusher and bronzer featured in this post are both currently reduced to £5 as well as some other offers (including their Brow Kit - OMG how gorgeous is that) so do check the site out! In case you don't know it's

www.lookbeauty.co.uk

Do you rate Look Beauty Products?? What are your favourites?? Did you rush out to take advantage of the January Sale??

NYX Sticks it To 'Em!!

Good evening beauty seekers!!

I have a habit of being reeeeeeally late to the party on certain things in the beauty world. Up until now my excuse has firmly been that i lived in deepest, darkest Derbyshire and just didn't have much access to a lot of brands. But not anymore i tell yee!! One of the brands which has just seemed to pass me by up until now is NYX. I'd seen a smattering of posts about the brand and seen a few products that i really fancied but because i never saw them anywhere i just didn't get round to purchasing. Until now!!

I finally popped my NYX cherry last week at Olympia Beauty. I'm really trying not to buy lots of blushes at the moment because i struggle to use all the ones that i have! However, thanks to Illamasqua i have developed a keen interest in cream blush formulas lately and, seeing this one in stick form, was intrigued. What with the discounts available at Olympia i thought it would be rude not to. 

The shade i picked up was Orchid although, to be honest, i think i did really well not to grab two or three because all the shades were so pretty. I chose this one because, drumroll please........ it's a DUPE!! It's like a cream version of my beloved BeneFit Coralista!! But more on that in a moment.

For such a bargain product (i think i paid about £4.50 for this with the discounts on offer on the day), i am loving both the shade and the pigmentation. I've been dabbing this along my cheekbones straight from the stick and then buffing it out with an angled blush brush and it gives a wonderful coral/pink glow with that lovely golden sheen that Coralista has. As it is a cream formula, i find it more pigmented than Coralista (which is a powder) and you don't have to build it up as much. 

Swatched: Coralista (Left) and Orchid (Right)

The shade comparison is very clear. Coralista takes a lot more building and comes out slightly paler. Of course it isn't a total match because one is a powder and one is a cream BUT i think thats the only thing separating the two for me! So if anyone loves the shade of Coralista but has issues in getting it to show up on a medium/dark skintone then this is definitely one to consider. 

The packaging of this product is very handy indeed for carrying around day to day. I must admit i had a few issues getting the stick to twist up when i first got it, but i think mine was just a bit stuck and, once i'd loosened it up a bit it started to twist up and down easily. Great product to pop in your bag and reapply through the day. 

This range of blushes retails for £5.50 and they have 7 shades. I've now got my eye on a couple more of these badboys because i find them sooooo handy! Check them all out and purchase them at nyxcosmeticsstore.co.uk

What are your NYX must haves?? Are you a sucker for a cream blush?? 

My Current Top 5 Blushes

2nd post of the day for me....

It's recently dawned on me that a definitely favour certain shades in my blush collection lately so i thought i'd do a post and tell you what they are and why i keep reaching for them again and again. This post is in no particular order, they are just the top 5 that i never fail to reach for. 

I don't tend to favour a particular brand when it comes to blushes. Don't get me wrong, I have brands that i prefer, but i won't judge a product on the brand. I prefer to try the product and then judge it on shade and formulation. Obviously if it's a range i know i like, then that's going to be a major factor. Like i just ADORE the Sheertone blushes from MAC for the fact that they are amazing shades but don't flood the cheeks with colour, which means that i can build to the intensity that i want. It also makes them more versatile for day to night wear. I have included two of these in my Top 5.

MAC Sheertone Blush in Pink Swoon

This is the first MAC blush i've had that i've actually had to repurchase so far. I used all of my first one and i went back for more. It's just the prettiest pink which can be used as a subtle flush or built to achieve a POP of pink. I've worn this to work as well as on a night out and i love how versatile it is. I'd totally recommend it for anyone who likes the idea of a vivid pink blush, but is a little hesitant to just slap it on. It's hard to go wrong with this shade in my opinion. 

MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in Sunbasque

This is a new find of mine but i've been obsessed with it ever since. I spotted this in a blog sale last month and just had to have it. In the last month, especially as the weather in London has been so stunning, i have gone for gold/bronze shades in a big way. This is going to be a firm favourite of mine for some time to come i think. I love it for the same reasons as i love Pink Swoon. Just a sweep gives a lovely sheer glow to the cheeks, or you can concentrate it on the cheekbones for a more dramatic effect. And the shimmer is stunning. 

Illamasqua Cream Blush in Dixie

I featured this blush in my August favourites, but it's a permanent favourite in my collection. I tend to try and rotate my blushes but this one is almost permanently in my everyday makeup bag. i absolutely adore the shade, which is a slightly reddened, warm pink and the cream formula means that you hardly need any on the brush to give a decent colour. This is one that looks vivid when you first apply it but then buffs out like a dream and gives a perfect colour. I can't wait to purchase 'Rude' next. I'm totally sold on Illamasqua blushes.  

BeneFit Coralista

This is an old school favourite of mine and i've made no secret throughout my time on this blog of the fact that i love it. Amazingly, I'm still on my first one and haven't even hit pan yet. I put this down to the fact that i go through phases of not being able to put it down, but then i'll put it away and use other products for a while. Currently, it's not top of my list but it holds a special place in my heart and it will probably be making a reappearance very soon. It's a perfect pinky coral that works all year round. I find BeneFit blushes to be VERY pricey, but the packaging is as beautifull as the blush itself and these little boxes look amazing sat on my vanity.

Fashionista Blush in Shade 10 (Butterscotch)

This is a blush that i had previously written off. I have this in a palette of 4 with other blushes and a highlighter and, to look at it, this is the least visually eye-catching of the 4. I did initially doubt that it would show up on me (it looks a lot lighter in the flesh than in these photos), but when i did finally develop the curiosity and swatched it i was amazed at how pigmented it is! I actually find it quite similar to MAC Melba. It's a similar matte formula and very similar in shade, but slightly more pink. It gives a lovely glow to the cheeks and i think i will be loving it even more for A/W 2012. The pigmentation of Fashionista blushes also means that you need very little on the brush, which makes a drugstore product even better value for money in my opinion!! 

So those are the blushes that are currently floating my boat. One or two of these are probably have 'all-time favourite' status, but as i said before, my favourites tend to switch around from season to season and depending on what i want from them at any given time. For now though, these 5 are my dream team.

What are your go-to blushes of the moment?? Which shades can't you live without?? What formulas get you going??

My Summer Essentials Pt3: Makeup

Not really summer any more is it??

BUT, as i can't leave this series unfinished and because lots of us will be heading to sunnier destinations in the coming months, i will crack on with the last instalment which is MAKE UP!! To be honest, I'm not sure if you guys are liking this series at all because i haven't really heard any feedback from any of you, but i'm enjoying writing it so will continue on regardless. 

As i mentioned, this is the last of my 3 posts about my favourite summer products (see my last 2 posts for Skincare, Tanning and Haircare picks), and today i'm going to show you my favourite summer makeup shades and products. 

Gonna kick off with bronzers cos that seems the most obvious thing...

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish: Goldstone

I got this as part of the Semi-Precious collection last year and it really is just like INSTANT summer on the face. Great multi use product as it can be used all in one, the darker area for a deeper bronze and also the middle area as a gorgeous highlight. I tend to use a sweep of this all over on top of my base. It gives am amazing glow to the skin. I'm trying to resist Gold Deposit as well as i'm trying to ration this and I'll be so sad when it does finally run out. 

VIVO Baked Bronzer

This is my ULTIMATE everyday bronzer and it is ALWAYS in my makeup bag. I'm sure you've heard all about it on this blog before so i'll not bore you with it again but i ADORE the finish (not too matte, not too much shimmer) and i apply this over the apples of my cheeks, nose, chin and wherever i want a bit of colour. I don't tend to use it for contour but thats not to say it couldn't be used for that too. Bargain product that looks expensive and lasts forever!! I've had this ages and i've barely made a dent in it!

Onto my two favourite summer blush products....

Sleek Blush By 3: Pumpkin

This is going to be my holiday blush saviour! It's just so perfect and you have 3 beautiful, summery shades to choose from. Extremely handy when you don't want to be taking loads of bulky blush compacts away with you and you get a choice of 3! These palettes come in other shade ranges too but this one just screams summer to me. I'm especially in love with the pink at the moment. Read my full review with swatches HERE!

BeneFit Coralista

BeneFit Coralista is one of my top 3 blushes of all time so far. I really can't fault it. Its the most beautiful coral/pink shade that can be as subtle or built up as you like. I love the packaging, although it isn't the most travel friendly in my opinion which is a shame. I will be doing a new post on this blush in the very near future as my previous post on it was published when i was very new to blogging and doesn't do it justice in my opinion! 

So here are my Top 3 Summer MAC lip shades!!

Viva Glam Nicki (Satin)

Such a fun yellow-toned pink shade which looks great with a tan. Great thing about this shade is it seems to suit most skintones! 

Vegas Volt (Amplified)

The original MAC coral shade. I suppose recent additions such as 'Watch me Simmer' and 'Reel Sexy' may have put VV in the shadow somewhat but it is such a great all round shade. Especially in the summer months.

Morange (Amplified)

This was the first MAC lippy i ever bought!! I think it was last June and the weather was starting to get nice and it just spoke to me. It's a totally tropical (slightly reddish) orange shade which looks much more orange on the lips than it looks in photographs. 

TOP TIP: If you are a bit scared of choosing a bold summer lip colour, make sure you invest in MAC Myth. A layer of this under any of the above shades makes them even more wearable! 

For a great, purse-friendly, daytime summer lip i'd highly recommend...

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters

Not too heavy in formula or colour, conditioning on the lips and available in a great range of shades! The shades i have are Lollipop, Cupcake and Creme Brulee and i have been wearing them soooo much! I'm going to have to go and buy a backup of Cupcake very soon as it's nearly gone! 

Some of the Lip Butter shades, so i'm told, contain quite a lot of glitter. This is NOT my thing at all but i can see how they would appeal over the summer months. None of the 3 i own contain any though and for more info and swatches check out my review of them HERE!

Onto my eye choices

17 Peep Show Mascara

This is a recent addition to my collection and i LOVE it!! It's a lengthening mascara with a great sized wand and it makes my lashes look so long!! As i don't tend to wear much other eye makeup other than mascara when its hot outside i will be turning to this for daytime and evening wear when i go away this summer. Great, affordable product that i will be doing a full review on very soon. Just wish they did a waterproof version!

Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eyeliner

Speaking of waterproof... Eyeliner isn't always the first thing i think about over summer as there aren't many i've come across that stay put for long enough to endure the heat, sweat and water. But this one doesn't shift!! When i first got it and tried it on my hand it didn't wash off for DAYS! Can't wait to put it to the test, although i think this will be more for evening wear than anything else. 

MUA Heaven & Earth Palette

This is going to be my go-to holiday palette i think. It's got everything you need to create subtle or dramatic looks and it has a gorgeous shimmer. I suppose it would be a toss up between this and my Urban Decay Naked palette but this palette is such great value for money. 

So those are my shades of choice for summer! I haven't included foundation or any base products in this post but, if you would like to see them, let me know and i will include them in a future post! 

What are your colour choices for summer?? What makeup items can't you live without when the weather heats up??