Anastasia Who?

So the blogger/vlogger world has been RAVING about the brow genius that is Anastasia Beverly Hills for quite a while now. Me? I'm just over here like "meh." I like a strong brow as much as the next girl, but I'm not fussed enough to go through the hassle of ordering online and trying to pick a shade and blah blah. Short story? I'm lazy but I still like filled-in brows.

Enter Soap and Glory to save the day. I've heard mixed reviews of their Archery brow pen. Some love it, some don't. Didn't bother trying it cause I found this little beauty. The Soap and Glory Archery 2-in-1 Brow Filling Pencil and Brush. This is a double ended product with a pencil on one end and a spoolie on the other. Spoolie = bonus number 1.

Bonus number 2 - Don't need to bother with pencil sharpeners. This is one of those rolly-uppy deals. Now, for most products this is a pain in the bit you sit on, but because this is SO THIN you don't need to worry about it, it still looks super natural. What I usually do though is use it more on one side so that it's slightly slanted, and if I need a sharp end, I turn it round. I usually only have to do this for the tail of my brow and even then it's rare the pencil as is, isn't thin enough.

The formula is super long lasting. I had an unfortunate incident last week where I fell asleep in class and woke up with an eyebrow on my arm, but that has never happened with this. Yes, I am admitting I have fallen asleep in class more than once.

The Archery pencil comes in 2 colours, Hot Chocolate and Blondshell. I use Hot Chocolate but it is a bit reddish for me, and I feel Blondshell would be too light. I have quite cool-toned brows, but I also don't have enough of them for that to matter much, but if you're not full on pencilling them in like me, and are just using to fill in sparse hairs....actually, I don't think that would matter much either. If you're trying to match cool-toned hair though, this shade might not be for you. I have blue hair, so I don't really care what colour my eyebrows are!

If you're thinking about the Anastasia Brow Wiz and aren't sure, I'd definitely give this a shot as an alternative. I'm on my second one, and I really love it!

The Search For The Perfect Eyeliner : ONE POUND?!

Yes folks, that's right, you heard me. One whole British Pound.

As you guys know, a few weeks ago I bought some stuff from Poundland's new makeup range, Makeup Gallery. I mean, everything's a pound each. I couldn't really complain. (My dog can though, I kissed her on the forehead a few weeks ago wearing the red lipstick and she still has a greasy mark despite numerous bathings. Just something to bear in mind!)

So I thought, eyeliner, what the heck. I mean, it's a pound.

One pound well damn spent ladies (and gentlemen) This eyeliner is. A. Winner.

The formula is great, it's super duper black and dries matte and it lasts a looooong time. You know when YouTubers are all smug like "I don't know who would want to wear their makeup for 14 hours" Me. That's who. Sometimes I leave the house at 8am and don't come back till 10/11.30pm. The joys of being a working student. And this eyeliner lasts all that time. It's also really buildable, like if you go over it, it's not going to move around, and I've worn this over glitter, so maybe had to go over two or three times with success. I have quite oily eyelids and this works well, not transferring onto my browbone but if you have really oily eyelids I don't know if this would work, I probably wouldn't recommend a liquid anyway.

The brush is fab as well, there was one little hair sticking out on mine that was kind of annoying, but I just snipped that off. I've had that even in high-end liquid eyeliners so I'm not complaining. Too much product comes out at first as you always get with these types of bottles so you do need to wipe the excess off, but the bonus to that is that it makes the brush paper-thin to get wings sharp enough to cut the haters.

The only downfall to this is that it is a liquid eyeliner so I know it's not for everyone. Some people prefer the pens because they're easier, some prefer gels because they're better to work with, but honestly, if you're fairly confident with your eyeliner and you don't mind a liquid. This is for you. 

Result.

Let me know if you've tried this, or anything else from Makeup Gallery!

N x

Tutorial - Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette : Natural smokes

Ladies and gents I am back!

Apologies once again for the hiatus, I have been deep in wedding planning mode along with impending doom deadlines and working and trying somehow to maintain my sanity and social life! To make up for my absence, I am back with a tutorial!

The Urban Decay Naked Basics palette has been around for aaaaaages now, and I still prefer it over the newer one as I think it's a great palette for those of you "not really into" makeup or those who "don't want to look like a drag queen" oh pals of mine, you know who you are!

So, on that note, I wanted to share a tutorial with you guys that I think would suit anyone wanting to look a little dressed up, but without any colour and only a tiny hint of shimmer. It's super easy and you could do it with only one brush, or probs even your fingers if that's all you got!

Step 1:

After priming your eyelids (my fave right now is UD's "Eden" primer. AH. MAY. ZING.) take a soft, fluffy brush, like for example the Makeup Revolution blending brush and buff the shade Naked 2 in the crease area, it's okay if you get it on the lid or around, it's going to help blend the darker shades out later.

Step 2: 

Using the same brush, take "Faint" and blend this on the outer half of your eye, trying not to get this in the crease part or above. This will create definition on the outer half of your eye and create a feline look that's a bit softer and more wearable.

Step 3: 

Again with the same brush, just really lightly dip into the shade "Crave" and take this just into that very outer corner of your eye. Don't be put off by the fact it's a black, I know lots of people are daunted by black eyeshadow, but using it really lightly and blending it A LOT, it will just add some depth to the corner of your eye. So that's your next task. Blend. Just run light circles over that whole outer corner area to blend all the colours together and make it really soft and diffused.

Step 4:

To brighten everything up, take a clean brush and dust the shade "Walk of Shame" over the inner 2/3s of the lid and under the browbone on the edge of those darker shadows, this will help to brighten everything up and blend out those shadows so there's no harsh lines. Then, dip your finger in the shade "Virgin" and pat this in the middle of your lid, above the iris of your eyeball and then in the inner corner of your eyelid just at your tear duct. You can also, if you're into it, run it under the arch of your eyebrow to highlight.

From here, the world's your oyster! Add winged liner if you like, some liner in your waterline smudged out for a smokey, grungy look, false lashes, mascara....it's totally up to you! Sometimes if I'm in a rush I will just do steps 1 & 2 with a quick flick of mascara and I'm out the door. Boom. Done. 

Tag me on instagram if you try this, I really want to know what you think! @pintsizeheroine

N x

A Dilemma For A Woman In Business - Maiden Or Married?

So, I'm facing a dilemma at the moment. On Christmas Eve, my wonderful partner got down on bended knee and asked me to be his wife. Of course I said yes! - Bet you thought that was my dilemma, haha!

No, my dilemma is what to do with my name. Contrary to popular belief, I'm a traditional soul, and I'm taking on my partner's name. The truth is, I like the idea of us being our own little team. I'm sad at the thought of not having my family name anymore, it's been a part of who I am for the last 27 years and I see taking his name as kind of breaking away from them. I'll still obviously be a member of my family, but it's my way of showing the world that my partner and I are a family now as well.

The question then, is this. What do I do in the professional sense? I hope to be running my own business someday, and that business is in its very infancy right now. Thankfully, I haven't actually relied on my surname for my business as many people in jewellery do. I have a friend who has been an artist for the last 30 years and all her work has been known by her maiden name, yet uses her married name for her jewellery business which she says she regrets slightly. I'm fairly certain this is because her maiden name is quite unusual - I wouldn't have that issue, my maiden name is fairly common, and my married name is probably the most popular surname after "Smith". Not relying on it before now means I won't face the issue of losing people who have followed me and my work for a long time when I suddenly drop off the face of the earth as Person X and re-emerge as Person Y and have to build up that following again. 

In reality, no-one other than me, and people who know me, will even know which is my maiden and which is my married name, so I don't suppose it really matters, but I do wonder, do I really want my business to be tied to my marriage? Or do I want something that's just me and mine? In the financial world, if you are married, you're seen as more trustworthy, more mature and stable. These are things I want for my business, but should I not be allowed to be seen as these things on my own? In a practical sense, being married will probably be quite helpful in terms of financial help for start-up costs etc from lenders, but in reality, my husband-to-be would have absolutely nothing to do with my decision making, except for his opinion every now and again - which in true wifely fashion, I shall completely ignore.

Then there is the question that no-one who is getting married wants to think about - what if it doesn't work out? It's pretty much not an option for me, but sadly divorce is now a huge part of getting married. Lots of couples don't make it through the "until death do we part" section of the vows. It's more like "until we can't stand to breathe the same air anymore". So, that being said, if you've chosen your married name for your business, what happens then? Suddenly you're back to being Person X again when you've built up a following as Person Y. Not to mention the awkward questions. How many people still call Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Cheryl Cole? Case and point. 

I suppose it's just a question of identity. My name is Nikki. I'm a businesswoman and a wife (almost!). I'm also a lot of other things. Which of those things do I take into my professional identity and which things do I keep personal? Maybe I'll just be Nikki. Just Nikki. Like Madonna, or Cher. Then again, neither of them were very good at marriage, so maybe not the people to look up to. Looks like I'll need to find some new role models. Any suggestions?

 

Goldsmith's Craft and Design Council Competition

Hi all! Hope you all had a lovely festive season and aren't too gutted at being back to work!
For me, being back at work means getting ready for my first competition entry of the year, which is (as the title to this post suggests) the Goldsmith's Hall Craft and Design Council competition. I enter this every year, I haven't won yet, but I always enjoy coming up with my designs each year.

This year, as with last year, I entered the Harriet Kelsall Bespoke design catagory, which involved designing 2 pieces based on a brief set by singer/songwriter Corinna Jane. She asked for a vintage-inspired piece, with a modern twist, using the colour scheme of gold, pink and purple.

For my inspiration I wanted to look at the way dancers moved when they were on stage, and was particularly inspired by the way their skirts spin when they move.

I found this image on Pinterest and loved the elegance.

I also looked to vintage jewellery for my inspiration and found this pair of earrings from Cartier circa 1960(ish) which I thought looked like the skirt of a dancer mid-spin. I also found a collection from high-end jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels based on dancing which, also I think the pieces are tacky, I can't deny the craftsmanship! 

So with all that in mind - Here's what I came up with!

It's not the most favourite painting I've ever done, but I like my design and I like how I've interpreted my idea. Also, if you're interested, here's a video of one of my favourite songs from Corinna Jane. If you like quirky kind of folk/pop, I think you might like her!

The Search For The Perfect Eyeliner : Benefit's They're Real

Please forgive the red eyes, it was 6am.

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas!

And so continues my quest for the perfect eyeliner. Now when it comes to makeup, we know I'm not a snob, expiration dates and importation and all that doesn't faze me at all. So I would have been massively intrigued by the They're Real eyeliner...had I not gotten the Maybelline version that had came out in Asia somewhere (judging by the packaging) months beforehand.

I kind of knew the script with this one, and to be honest, the application is okayyyyy. The Benefit one is definitely better applicator wise than the Maybelline one, and it lasts ALL day. It was only a sample size I got, and I would get the full size after trialling it. It was really easy to apply, if you're a beginner it might take some practice but easier than  a liquid and it's super black and not at all patchy. I don't know how it manipulates as so far, I've not had to, which probably speaks volumes about how easy the application is.

As far as gel eyeliners go, it's the best I've tried, but perfect eyeliner it is not. That is, my search for the perfect eyeliner involves being able to get it off without removing my eyelid at the end of the day.
 The picture on the right is my full look for that day, please forgive the Instagram filter, as I said, it was 6am and I was running out the door!

I also said I would give you an update on the Poundland makeup range at some point. I'm wearing both the lippy and the blusher I got in this photo, the lipstick application sucks, but I paired it with MAC Nightmoth and still managed to get the beautiful duochrome. The blush takes some building but is a lovely wearable daytime pink. Perfect if you like just a subtle flush.

My Poundland Makeup Post

The Search For The Perfect Eyeliner : B Dramatic

Makeup 101: The Glitter Cut Crease

Hi everyone!  Can I just point out...3 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!! I'M SO EXCITEEEED!

Okay, back. So hopefully everyone's having a wonderful festive season so far, and today I'm bringing you a look I wore to my college Christmas party, and I thought I would take photos along the way so that hopefully you can wear it too!


Before you begin, make sure you prep your eyes with your chosen primer. You can use concealer if you like, here I've used the Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I've also placed some Scotch tape along past my lower lashline to help create a super sharp wing.

Then, I've used a soft black eyeliner to draw in my guide for my cut crease. I have slightly hidden eyelids, so I've actually drawn my crease just above where my actual crease is, so that it still shows when my eyes are open. Also, if black is too harsh for you, you could use a dark brown.

Next, use a small soft brush to blend that eyeliner out. Use a small amount of black eyeshadow to help the blending. Blend blend blend. Blend more. And again. No harsh lines allowed. 

So I was using a silver/rainbow glitter, so I used a silver eyeshadow underneath. You don't have to use an eyeshadow at all, but I think it helps. I used a flat, dense brush to press this up to where I've laid down that black liner and shadow. Try not to go over the black, but if you do, don't worry, just use the smaller brush you used first to blend it out.

Now, take a glitter glue i.e. Too Faced Glitter Glue, or Urban Decay Bondage and use your finger to press that over the silver/colour of your choice shadow and then use your finger to densely pack that glitter on top of the glue, again, try not to go over the black. I've done my eyes before the rest of my face here so I don't have to worry about fallout, I'll just wipe it away before I do my foundation etc.

Now, use a liquid eyeliner to draw your wing. Liquid works best here, especially the non-pen type because it just glides over the glitter and doesn't drag it around. 

Take the tape off and use a cotton bud dipped in makeup remover to tidy up your wing if you need to, then I smudged a tiny amount of black eyeshadow into the bottom lashes to balance everything out. I then added some mascara and false lashes and woohoo! Party ready!

Please tag me @pintsizeheroine on Instagram if you try this or any of my other makeup tutorials, I'd love to see them!

N x

Makeup 101: Highlight and Contour!

Hello folks!

Sorry I've been MIA again. Who decided to be a jeweller at Christmas? Jeezo. I've been rushed off my feet trying to get everything sorted before I finish college for the Christmas holidays so I'm sorry I (once again) haven't been able to post!

I'm back with another makeup tutorial today, this time for a highlight and contour.

Behold! My starting face! Now, because I use powder products to highlight and contour I always apply my primer, foundation, and concealer first, this allows for easy blending. If you want to use cream products then I would definitely advise contouring before powder.

I start off by applying a concealer just a shade or 2 lighter than my skin to the high points of my face (forehead, nose, chin, sometimes cupid's bow) and under my eyes and buff this in using a flat top brush. This will create the illusion of light on your face once your contour has been applied.

Sah pretty.

Buffin' Buffin' Buffin'

I then apply a dark brown to the hollows of my face which are under my cheekbones, under my jaw and the temples of my forehead. Now, I don't usually contour my temples as I have a really small forehead, I don't need to, but I've done it in this photo so you can see where this would be applied. Also, if you struggle to find your cheekbones, suck your cheeks in through your teeth to make a fishy face and draw a line towards the corners of your mouth and stop at least three fingers' width away. When you're satisfied with your placement, blend upwards. Think you've blended enough? You haven't. Keep going.

I use a nude coloured blush to contour as I'm so pale, but a good idea is to get a powder foundation a few shades darker than your skintone. I hate using bronzer to contour as it can look so orange but if that's what you like then you can use that too. I'd say bronzer works better if you have a darker skintone. Ghosts like me need not apply,

Then, if you like, take a shimmery highlighter and apply this to the very tops of your cheekbones just under your eyes to catch the light when you move your head.

To complete the look, apply your blush of choice just in between your highlight and contour and blend together. 

MINION!

Please let me know if you try this for yourself! 

N x

First Impressions : Poundland Makeup Range!

Okay, so I was really skeptical about trying this, but then my mum pointed out that I had been waxing lyrical about a Makeup Revolution lipstick that only cost £1 so I figured I might as well give it a go!

The range is called Makeup Gallery and it has everything from foundations to nail polishes. The items I selected to try were : a nail polish in Silver Treasure, a Colour Moisture lipstick in Plum Pout, a blusher in Candyfloss, an eyeshadow in Galaxy Grey and an Intense Colour and Shine Gloss in Pixie Pink.

First impressions are...mixed. 

The nail polish has a great brush, flat and thick with tiny particles of rainbow glitter and larger silver glitter pieces, but as with most glitter polishes you don't get much of them. 

The lipgloss is a beautiful neon pink colour that goes opaque with one swipe but the consistency is kind of sticky. I don't mind that so much but I know some people don't like that.

The blush is really pretty neutral pink, the swatch doesn't show up much so I think I'll need to try this one out on my face to see what happens. 

What made me want to try all of this in the first place was the lipstick in Plum Pout, look at that duochrome! I don't have anything like it in my (rather excessive) collection. It is very moisturising but quite sheer, so again a face trial is probably needed!

Lastly I decided to try one of the eyeshadows and my first impressions aren't massively positive. It seems quite chalky and crumbly but hopefully I can work with it over a primer. 

These are obviously just first impressions so I'll be trialling these over the next few weeks and I'll be back to let you know what I think!

Will you be trying anything from this range?

N x

Makeup 101: Ombre Lip

Hi guys,

I'm back with another makeup tutorial, and today's look is a super wearable take on the ombre lip. I use this to mix shades of lipstick that I don't always necessarily think I suit or to add a little something extra to my daytime lip looks.

Step 1:

Apologies for the ridiculous picture, it was the only way I could show what I meant! Start by outlining your lips in a pinky nude colour (either with a lipliner, or a lipstick on a brush) and fill in the corners.

Next, fill in the centre of your lips with a peachy nude tone and blend into the lipliner, finish with a gloss if you like and you're done!

Let me know if you try this look!

N x

Makeup 101 : Smokey Eye

Hi folks! 

Extreme apologies for not posting the last week or so, I had a competition to prepare for with only 5 days notice so I have been the busiest guy ever! So, I thought I'd make it up to you guys with my first ever makeup tutorial!

One of the things I get asked about most is a smokey eye, so I thought I would show you how to do a really wearable, not too dark or complicated eye with a pop of shimmer.

One of my first tips when choosing what colours to wear is to go for a palette or a quad if you're not sure, this means you'll have colours that will definitely match and most quads now have little instructions on the back to help!

The quad I've chosen is the Maleficent palette from MAC but this contains all permanent shades if you like the look of them! 

Step 1 :

Apply your chosen primer (I use TooFaced Shadow Insurance) and buff a medium matte brown shade over your crease, using a fluffy brush here I've used Brown Down from the Maleficent palette with a MAC 217 brush. 

Step 2: 

Next, take a slightly different matte brown, I've used Concrete here as it's a little darker and more grey toned than Brown Down, and using the same brush, lightly blend that into the outer corner of your eye and crease, covering approx 1/3rd of your outer eyelid.

Step 3:

This is the part most people are scared of : black. Take a matte black shadow, and with a super light hand, blend that into the very outer corner of your eye. Keep blending until you have a nice gradient of colour but make sure you keep to the outer corner as this will create the most dimension. 

Step 4:

Now take a flat, dense eyeshadow brush, I used the double-ended eyeshadow brush from Urban Decay and press a shimmery gold shadow on the eyelid up to the crease. I've used Goldmine from MAC here, but Half Baked from Urban Decay is also a nice one. If you're not into shimmer then a pale matte shade would also work for this step. 

Step 5:

This step is entirely optional, but I like it for adding a little bit of grunginess. Take the same matte black eyeshadow on an angled liner brush and run this along your bottom lashline, then smudge with your blending brush. 

Add some mascara and you're done!

I hope you liked this tutorial and if there's any you'd like me to do then please let me know and I'll give it a shot! 

N x

The Search For The Perfect Eyeliner : B. Dramatic

In the makeup and beauty world, everyone is looking for that Holy Grail product, that product that you put on your face (or hair, or body!) and just think..."This is it." For me, as I feel a bit naked without it, it's eyeliner. Gel, pencil, liquid, whatevs. So here lies the beginning of a new quest for Nikki Rocks, the search for the perfect eyeliner.

Spoiler. This isn't it...otherwise this would be a really short quest. Like Lord of The Rings condensed into 2 minutes. (Actually, if someone had condensed LOTR into 2 minutes for me I could have 327 hours made to watch it of my life back. Anyway, I digress.)

This claims to be a "long wearing felt pen eyeliner which provides bold precise strokes in a single sweep."

No.

Just...no.

I have so many issues with this eyeliner it's not even real, mostly because when I swatched it in my local Superdrug it appeared to be the blackest black eyeliner of all black eyeliners. Then I actually put it on my eyelids. (Not the tester, cause that would be gross, I obviously bought it to try!)

Please excuse the fact I look about 80.

First of all, it is so so so patchy and you CANNOT fill in the gaps. It's not even the way of a cheap eyeliner that it flakes off if you try and go over it, it just doesn't fill in! So that rubbishes the claim of a "single sweep" and it isn't precise in the slightest due to the fact that nothing comes out of the tip, you have to try and hold the tip parallel with your eye but it means that if you're trying to get a really precise cat-eye flick, it's just not going to work.

To give Superdrug's advertising some semblance of credit, it is long wearing. I have oily eyelids and this doesn't transfer at all which is great as I find this really hard to combat, so this might be suitable if you just like a little definition along the lashline, but if you're like me, and bolder is better - this ain't the one for you.

Recommendations of what to try next would be much appreciated!

1 Month Today!

It's the 15th today which means my little blog is officially 1 month old! Yay!

My first Topshop makeup purchase!

Okay, so I know Topshop makeup has been around pretty much longer than I have, but as it's not somewhere I go in very often, the makeup's just kind of passed me by. Until today. I say that with a sigh as now, now I'm an addict.

How Armour appears on the lips

I was in with my friend, and as the clothes don't really interest me (no size 18's. Really?) I wandered over to the makeup to check it out and stumbled upon this little beauty. This is one of their regular lipsticks in the shade Armour, priced at a reasonable £8. It's described on the website as being rose gold in colour and I'd agree. I usually avoid frost/metallic finish lipsticks like the plague but something about this one just sang to me when I swatched it on the back of my hand so I bought it.

I usually associate frost finish lipsticks with the 80's and that horrible gritty feeling on your lips but this glides on so smoothly. It's so soft and creamy, so on the other hand, you'd think it would wear off quickly? Nope. Had it on for 3 hours and it's not moved. I've not eaten mind you, and I think after that, reapplication would be required but I wouldn't mind that.

More Topshop lippies required? Hell yeah. ANOTHER makeup brand addiction? Need it like a hole in the head, but I'm doing it for you guys! Or that's what I keep telling myself!

What's your favourite Topshop lipstick shade? Any recommendations?

N x

You can purchase Armour on the Topshop website

Essence XXXL Longlasting Lipgloss Review

So recently I went to a shopping centre I don't normally go to and discovered it had a Wilkos, which I don't have anywhere near me , so decided to go on a little Essence haul! (£45 on makeup of which pretty much nothing costs over £2...oops.) 

One of the first things I went for was the lip products as I am a lip product junkie obviously! I really enjoy the different types of lip creams that are popular at the moment so I though I would give these a try in the shades Velvet Rose and Silky Red.

These feel lovely on the lips, really soft and creamy and so moisturising, unlike other matte lip creams. The red is slightly more opaque than the pink and that's probably the only issue I have with them is the opacity. As you can see, I've applied them here without lipliner and they're quite sheer, so I would suggest a lipliner underneath. I pair the red with the Illamasqua lip pencil in Fiesty and the pink with the Rimmel Exaggerate lipliner in Eastend Snob and I find they go well together but obviously you can try anything you like.

The one thing I love about these lip creams (they're called a lip gloss...but they're not glossy...) and it makes them an absolute dream to apply, is first of all the applicator. When you take it out of the tube it looks like a normal doe-foot applicator but it has a little lip on it so it hugs your lips perfectly. Secondly, the taste and smell is the best of any lip product EVER. I know that's a bold statement, but all I need to convince you is three words. Costco. Birthday. Cake.

There's not a wide shade range of these, only 5 shades but there's definitely something in there for everyone.

Have you tried these? Do you have any other Essence recommendations?
N x 

MAC "Cyber" lipstick

So after saying "I'm not much of a MAC girl", my second ever make-up review here is a MAC one. Go figure. 

As soon as the weather drops below 10 degrees here in Glasgow I'm all about the dark lippy. This means I wear coral for a week in June, but we'll talk about that in June. After a quick review of my makeup stash I decided I wanted some new shades, more specifically something from MAC. I initally was going to go for "Rebel" but on seeing "Cyber" I totally fell in love. 

This is a really deep purple and I'd say it has no berry tones in it at all. It's described by MAC as "an intense blackish-purple" and straight after first application it definitely is, but as it wears through the day it shows more purple in tone. I think perhaps this may be down to the finish, which is Satin.

I love the formula of this lipstick but it definitely does not last well, even with a lipliner so reapplication is needed. I don't mind this but I know for some this is a downfall. Overall, it's a lovely colour and finish so I'm a happy camper. 

If MAC is out of your price range then there's a few alternatives I've found :

Collection Gothic Glam in Scorned

Revlon Super Lustrous in Va-Va Violet

Sleek True Colour in Mulberry

Are dark lipsticks your thing? What's your favourite colour for this winter?

N x

MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder

What's this? A makeup review?

When it comes to makeup, I'm actually not much of a MAC girl, but recently I was in Selfridges with some friends and I was looking a little shiny, so I decided to pick this up for a touch-up before going out for dinner. 

This powder comes in the classic black MAC compact with a handy little powder puff and mirror. The packaging also clicks closed, which is great for keeping it secure if you want to just throw it in your bag to touch-up during the day.

This powder is described on the MAC website as "micro-fine, sheer and silky" and comes in 13 shades. I selected shade NC15 as a total guess and it's a good match and not too yellow. I tend to go the whole hog when it comes to face makeup and this powder works really well for setting everything down and locking in my foundation. I have quite oily skin but this wears well throughout the day (usually about 4 hours which is about the most I get from any powder really!) and doesn't separate or look cakey after reapplication. Coverage is very light, so if you're looking for something just to control shine and even out skintone, then this is one for you. I suggest starting with a concealer for blemish-covering because this unfortunately ain't going to get it done. It blends beautifully when applied with a brush and I'd say that for me, the shade is spot on. 

For my first MAC face product I'm pretty pleased! I wouldn't exactly rush out and repurchase if I ran out but I would definitely advise everyone to try it out for themselves!

Have you tried this powder? Let me know what you think?

MAC Select Sheer Pressed Powder available here for £20.50