MAC's 'Honeylove' Lipstick Review

The Kylie Jenner lip trend has become very popular amongst girls, particularly over the blogging and YouTube community. I, even though I love the Kardashian/Jenner family, have never really gotten into the whole 'I need MAC Velvet Teddy to look like Kylie Jenner' phase. I just didn't think that a brown toned nude would suit me so I didn't really bother. However, for Christmas I received MAC's 'Honeylove', a brown toned nude similar to that of Kylie Jenner's lipstick choice. Have I entered the craze? I had this on my wishlist for over a year since I saw my friend wearing it to sixth form and I really liked it. So, when I received this as a gift I was really excited to try it out.

I own a lot of nude lipsticks but none of this sort. All of my nudes are mainly pink toned as I think they suit me more and I like how they look on the lips. I have never tried a brown toned nude before but I thought I'd give it a shot. This lipstick, in my opinion, would suit many skin tones as it is a natural looking lipstick, perfect for those who aren't keen on going for the bold choice. But for me, I still prefer a more pinky nude. I don't dislike this lipstick, however, as I do think it is a lovely colour and I've worn it a lot since I received it at Christmas! It is a matte finish but doesn't look too dry on the lips and actually has a slight sheen to it when you first apply. The consistency is quite creamy, making it much easier to apply than many matte lipsticks. I do find though that sometimes you can see the cracks and dry skin on your lips, especially if you have dry lips which I've suffered from recently.

It does last a long time which puts a huge tick next to this BUT it does not last as long as some of my other lipsticks, especially Russian Red, as it can rub of throughout the day. It is perfect for an all year round colour and would suit any skin tone!

Have you tried Honeylove?

Charlotte xxx

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It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...Spring!

I have one question to ask you...how on earth is it 10 days into March already?! It feels like yesterday that it was Christmas. I actually can't believe how fast this year is going, and I know I say that a lot just like every other person and their dog living in this world but seriously, WHUT?! Since it is March this means we are nearly approaching my fav month of the year which is Summer! However, Spring comes first and not only does it get me really excited for Summer but love every little bit of Spring itself.

Here's why:

1. Sunny weather. Even though it is hard to believe in a country like England, this had to come top of my list. As soon as the sun comes out it instantly puts me in a good mood and always makes me want to go to the beach for some reason.

2. Lighter nights. there's nothing better than walking home from uni at 6 on a Thursday evening when the sun is setting. Although I love winter, it gets to a point where I crave lighter nights. It makes the day feel much longer!

3. Pastel colours. Oh my days my favourite type of colours. You get to that stage where you're done with wearing burgundy's and purple shades and want to use colour. I love everything pastel; my nails, my clothes, my bags...you name it.

4. No big coats. I've been saying this to myself for a while now as well as telling many people, but I can't be bothered to wear big, thick coats anymore. I want to be able to go out in a thin coat or just a little jumper please?!

5. Double figures. And by this I mean temperature. I love it when it's hot. I actually think I prefer being hot than cold and when the sun's out it's even more perfect.

6. Bare legs. You'll be thinking 'what are you on about?!' But, I love the feeling of going out in a dress or skirt and not have to wear tights. Although this may not happen just yet (thanks England), there'll always be an occasional cheeky leg reveal...

7. Flowers. This may make me sound a bit grannyish, but I love it when the flowers blossom and the leaves fill the trees. Hahaha why am I laughing at myself, I'm actually being serious!

8. Sitting in the garden. This is one of my favourite things to do ever. I love spending the day in our back garden, blogging, listening to music and just watching the world go by.

9. Eating outside. I love being able to go outside and enjoy my breakfast and cup of tea in the morning sun or even sitting out in restaurants and cafes to eat whilst enjoying the sun.

10. Driving with the windows down. There's nothing better than going on a drive with the windows open, music turned up and the sun shining. 

11. Sunglasses. Finally a girl can get her sunnies on!

12. The excitement of Summer. Knowing that Summer is only a few months away just makes me love Spring even more. *Does excited/weird dance sitting on my chair.*

Charlotte xxx

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For those impatient nail dryers...Barry M's Speedy Nail Paint in Kiss Me Quick

I'm the worst person when it comes to waiting for my nails to dry. I'm so impatient and end up smudging them within ten minutes of painting them. Some nail varnishes that I own do dry quickly but still feel soft (if you get me) and smudge even if I scratch my face. so, when I saw that Barry M had released their new speedy nail paints for Spring, I had to try them out. I went into Superdrug the other day and found them on the Barry M stand so I tried a few colours to see what one I wanted to test first and so I chose to buy the shade 'Kiss Me Quick', a baby pink pastel colour perfect for Spring!

The whole 'Speedy Quick Dry' title really drew me in. I thought this could solve all of my problems. My biggest wish in life was fulfilled! Okay, that's a bit of an over exaggeration but for an impatient nail dryer (if that's a thing) like me, this means a hell of a lot. I didn't know whether to believe it however, as some nail polishes draw you in to a title like that and then let you down by smudging straight after because you think your nails are dry. But this sticks by its word! The nail polish does dry within about a minute or so, making it a lot easier to apply more than one coat within a short space of time! The brush is also a flat top brush which I bloomin LOVE. Praise the Lord for flat top brushes! The only problem I have however, is that some of the hairs stick out a little bit which sometimes leaves a mark on my nails but overall this brush makes painting my nails much easier.

The colour is exactly the colour I've been looking for. I've been looking for the perfect baby pink for ages and every nail polish I try just hasn't fitted my requirements. Do you ever have this problem?? I have colours of a similar shade and people will probably think, Charlotte what the flip are you talking about you have about 20 shades of pink staring right at you. But no. This pink is the exact shade of pink I've been wanting in my collection! I usually apply two coats however, I realised with this nail varnish that it needed three to make it look extra opaque. Plus, this is mainly because I was doing a lot of chores the day after I had painted my nails, they had chipped slightly so I applied an extra coat and they lasted for a good 5 days, which I'm telling you is good for me!!  

I was really impressed with this nail varnish and I definitely want to buy more from the range as the colour selection is amazing! They cost £3.99 and you can buy them from any drugstore or supermarket. Barry M is one of my favourite nail brands and it is so affordable and easy to buy that I would highly recommend trying any from this range or any of their other nail polishes for that matter!

Charlotte xxx

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What's in my Travel Make Up Bag?

Since I live away from home for my university, I tend to travel home often and so I've formed a travel make up bag to show you all what I usually take with me. When it comes to packing a make up, I'm a sucker for overpacking. To be honest, this doesn't just happen with my make up but with everything else for that matter. Any tips on how to not overpack?!?! Anyway, I usually have to separate my make up into two separate bags as everything just overflows and I always struggle to zip up the bag. I've been having this problem for a while until I recently found this 'I need make up' make up bag from Primark for only £3! £3!!! I also find the slogan quite funny...or maybe that's just me being easily amused by the smallest things...

I love how big this bag is as it fits everything I need in and creates less of a struggle to zip up. Go me! I've been trying to solve my overpacking syndrome by talking to myself and thinking about what I really need. I mean, I might need options!! The bag is made out of an easily washable material, perfect if you end up getting make up marks all over. This bag is the perfect size for fitting everything in meaning I don't have to pack two make up bags! I think I have a problem.

Face

Primer - Benefit 'Porefessional'

Foundation - Bourjouis Healthy Mix Foundation (Shade: 52 Vanille)

Concealer - Benefit 'Erase Paste' (Shade: 01 Fair) and Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

Powder - Seventeen Stay Time Pressed Powder

Bronzer - Benefit 'Hoola'

Blush - MAC 'At Dusk' and Benefit 'Rockateur'

Highlighter - MAC Soft and Gentle and Benefit 'Watt's Up'

Eyes

Primer - The testers that come with the Urban decay Naked 3 palette (lol that sounded professional but you know what I mean)

Eyeshadow - Stila 'In the Light' Palette

Eyeliner - Topshop Magic Liner

Mascara - Benefit 'They're Real' and Maybelline Lash Sensational

Eyebrows - Maybelline Brow Drama

False Eyelashes (if I'm feeling fancy) - Tanya Burr Individual Eyelashes

Lips (Note: it was very difficult to only pack a small amount)

MAC Creme Cup

MAC Honeylove 

Tanya Burr Lip Gloss - Afternoon Tea

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick - In Love With Ginger

MAC Russian Red

Rimmel Kate Moss - 107

Tools

Real Techniques - Buffing Brush, Powder Brush, Contour Brush and Base Shadow Brush

Ebay Brushes - Buffing brush for concealer and eyeshadow brush

No7 - Powder/blush brush and eyeshadow blending brush

Urban Decay (Naked 1 ) eyeshadow brush

MAC 217 blending brush

Primark eyelash curlers

So there is my travel make up bag. This is good for me, this is not overpacking (although some of you may think differently). I do tend to take loads of lip products, it just depends on how I'm feeling, am I in a bright pink mood or is it a dark red kinda day?

What's in your travel make up bag?

Charlotte xxx

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MAC's 'Russian Red' Lipstick Review

I love MAC lipsticks and by love, I mean I have a strong obsession. My bank balance is always hit hard when I take a trip to a MAC counter and I spend a good quarter of every shopping trip browsing and swatching a bunch of lipsticks until my hand looks like I've encountered some sort of deathly disease in the past hour that I had been standing there for. Of course that's not true, but my mam will always ask what has happened to the backs of my hand when I go shopping and I always give the same answer. I'm a make up addict, this is the life I lead...

Russian red has been on my MAC lipstick wishlist for a while now and I kindly received it for Christmas this year. this lipstick is a matte formula meaning it does not have any shine and stays on for longer. I've been really getting into matte lipsticks recently as I prefer the longevity of the product but I also love how it looks on the lips. I'm always worried about these formulas, however, as I've heard people speak about one MAC lipstick in particular (think it may be Ruby Woo, which is also on my wishlist) being quite hard to apply and doesn't glide on easily. Russian Red, on the other hand, does the trick and glides on like icing on a cake (MMM CAKE). It doesn't feel drying on the lips and doesn't look it either. BUT, I wouldn't recommend wearing a matte formulated lipstick if you have dry or cracked lips as it will make them a lot more noticeable. Not a nice look I can assure you.

The colour is more of a deep red but a very wearable lipstick for those who aren't comfortable with bold lip colours. It's more of a blue-toned red meaning that it makes your teeth look just that little bit whiter giving it more brownie points than it already has. It does last all day and my mam was shocked that it had lasted from morning to night without budging even though I eat 24/7, it did not move. She was genuinely impressed. The only problem I have about this lipstick, as well as other MAC lipsticks for that matter, is the price. £15.50 FOR A MAC LIPSTICK?!?! I used to pay about £12/£13 point which, yes I know is only a couple of pounds difference but still, how expensive?! Rant over sorry but I'm just not happy with this increase in price, how is my purse going to cope? 

Have you tried Russian Red?

Charlotte xxx

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