The Easy Eye

We're always looking for an easy makeup look and I think I've got it down to a tee for you here. I love eye makeup but all the blending and perfecting can sometimes take so long so I've laid out a quick and easy guide for a beautiful look.

The Maybelline Eyestudio 24hr Colour Tattoo Cream Gel Eye Shadows are perfect for a quick eye look, I've chosen On and On Bronze as it's such a wearable bronze shade. I would blend some of it across my lid using my finger. It's so beautiful and so easy to apply. I'd then go in with an eyeliner pen, I'd use the Cosmetics A La Carte* one to line the top lid with a small flick. To finish off the look a lot of black mascara is needed and I think that the Benefit Bad Gal Lash Mascara is a great one for this. Super black and super voluminous, I love it! 

This is one of my go-to looks when I'm in a hurry. What's yours? 

Lorna x

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E.L.F: Waterproof Eyeliner Pen, Lip Lock Pencil and Glitter Eyeshadow

E.L.F Waterproof Eyeliner Pen* - £2.50, Lip Lock Pencil* - £3.75, Glitter Eyeshadow in Night Owl* - £2.50

I used to be obsessed with Eyes Lips Face when I was first getting into makeup. Their affordable prices meant that I could afford to try out a large range of products like I was seeing all of these bloggers doing. I wanted a piece of that lifestyle that I was forever reading about and E.L.F gave me that. I was forever ordering in bulk whenever any great deals came up or discount codes and I was shortly becoming obsessed. Just like any other beauty blogger, I then became obsessed with the next best thing and started exploring into other brands and products. I still looked on E.L.F and fancied a few bits and pieces but I just never really got round to ordering it for one reason or another so when E.L.F recently contacted me asking if I wanted to try out a few bits, I jumped at the chance.

I love a good Eyeliner Pen and actually one of my old favourites was from E.L.F, so when I saw this in the package I was pretty excited. I am such a clutz when it comes to eyeliner, especially when I'm trying to give it a bit of a winged effect. I'm forever rubbing it off with a makeup wipe trying to get that perfectly even winged liner but I usually end up with super red skin underneath before it is achieved. These eyeliner pens make this chore so much easier as it feels like your literally just drawing it on. I usually apply this over a much darker black eyeliner as I like my liner to be super black! It lasts well and I would definitely repurchase this as it is super affordable!

I used to really like the studio range from E.L.F, it is affordable but still feels as though it is a little luxurious with its sleek black packaging in comparison to the cheaper looking plastic of the normal range. Slightly more expensive than said normal range but I like them both all the same. This Lip Lock pencil is a clear, thicker nibbed lip pencil. You apply it prior to the application of your lipstick and it works as a barrier to stop bleeding etc. I really like using this as you don't need a different lip liner colour for each lipstick you use - this is great for the lipsticks I don't have a matching lip liner for!

A glitter eyeshadow, who could turn that down? A beautiful gunmetal grey glitter perfect for using in a smokey eye for a night out. I haven't used this to go out in yet as I haven't had a big night out in a while, but the next time, I will be jumping at the chance to use this bad boy! It looks beautiful swatched and I can only imagine how gorgeous it will actually look around the eye! 

I have totally got my love back for E.L.F and will be bringing out some old favourites and hopefully making some new!

What are your favourite E.L.F products?

Lorna x

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Introducing Smooch Makeup

Smooch is a new brand to me, and as a lover of makeup I couldn't wait to try it out! Each of the shades of each of the products are right up my street and so wearable! The packaging is sleek and black which I love and makes it look much more classy. It does get quite dirty easily, but this can be easily combated through just being that bit more careful.

The Duo Eyeshadow in Dare To Bare* includes two absolutely beautiful shades. Both quite muted filled with shimmer. They are shades that will work well blended into each other or other shades you may have in your collection - it works well with the Urban Decay Naked Palette! They brighten the eye beautifully and I think they work well for during the day with a light sweep of colour or during the night blended with darker shades for a beautiful smokey eye. 

They look beautiful don't they? The shade on the right looks gorgeous in the inner corner of the eye! The pigmentation is great but the shadows are a little chalky but I think this is easy to get over. 

The Blush in Glamour Puss* is a shade I actually don't have in my collection, I have a bazillion peaches and light pink shades but when I opened the box to find a slightly darker pink shade I was pretty excited. All I could think about was how perfect this is for A/W! It is matte which is great as you can use a separate highlighter without it being too overpowering, which could definitely be the case with a glitter filled highlighter. 

 My favourite thing about this blush is how nice it looks with my beloved purple lipsticks, my bright blush shades just don't quite cut it. A beautiful rosey pink shades that will work perfectly at this time of year!

The bronzer in Tan Queenie* is gorgeous! I usually steer clear from most bronzers and generally stick to my Benefit Hoola Bronzer mini. Some do often take my fancy but I usually end up too scared and leave it. I was excited to try this one out as I thought it was about time to add another to my collection. Tan Queenie is a lovely shade with a slight golden shimmer running through it. I usually prefer more of a matte bronzer like Hoola but actually this is a nice change. It works well with my skin tone and I really like the bronzed look it gives - this will look beautiful in the summer and will still work with my pale winter skin tone. It also comes with a super soft brush and although it isn't the type of brush I would use to apply this product with, I really want to find a use for it because it us super soft and lovely on the skin. 

I am so happy that smooch has been introduced to be as it is a lovely brand, I love the packaging and the quality of the products are really nice. I also love the shade range! I cannot wait to try out some more of their products as I can only hope that they will be as good as these!

Have you tried any products from Smooch? What are your favourites? 

Lorna x

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Deborah Milano: Shine Creator Lipstick in Luminous Red

Deborah Milano Shine Creator Lipstick in Luminous Red* £8.50

Red's are definitely one of my favourite shades of lipstick and is definitely my most worn. I usually go for a super bright one that packs a great punch so when I received this one from Deborah Milano I was excited to try it out as it seemed quite different from the others in my collection. The shade was down to a tee something I'd wear, it's bright and very pigmented but the great thing about it is that it can be worn as a slight wash of colour or can be built up to a much brighter one. 

It reminds me a little of the 17 Hollywood Shine lipsticks, but a much more luxurious version. The packaging is interesting, a lot different to those that are in my collection - I do actually have another of the shine creator lipsticks in my collection and you can read my thoughts on it here along with some of the other products within their range. This shade is much more me! 

These lipsticks are very moisturising and really wearable. I think they're great for pulling a look together for during the day!

Have you tried any of Deborah Milano's lipsticks? I'd love to know which shades you love!

Lorna x

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Cosmetics A La Carte: Stay Put Intense Liner

Stay Put Intense Liner* - £25 

After seeing the products from Cosmetics A La Carte at their press day (which you can read about here) I knew their products would be amazing, and couldn't wait to try them out. 

They kindly offered to send me the Stay Put Intense Liner and a few other samples to try out. I love a good black liner and the pen format that this eye liner came in was right up my street. I love using pen liners like this to create a winged liner effect as I find it so hard to do with any other type of eyeliner. I can't ever seem to get it even, but with this it's a different story. It is well pigmented, but I like my eyeliner to be a little more black, so when using this I would usually apply my beloved Barry M eyeliner over the top, just to give it that bit more. It lasts well and does the job it should! 

As for the other sampled products, they seem great too. I love a good cream blush, so when they included a couple of samples of theirs I just couldn't wait to try. Great colors and pigmentation and they apply well onto the skin. The lipsticks I have are both 'your lips but better' shades, not really something I would wear every day as I'm more of a bright or dark lipstick kind of girl, but these are great to have just in case I feel like changing it up a bit. The brown eye shadow is great, it's matte and is great to add into the mix with my Naked palette. 

I would definitely recommend Cosmetics A La Carte, although it is a little pricey. You could possibly find similar products that work the same for less, so it could possibly be worth looking around if you can't quite stretch to their prices. 

Have you tried any products from Cosmetics A La Carte? 

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W7 Go West Matte Lipstick in Powder Pink

W7 Go West Matte Lipstick in Powder Pink* - £2.50

I love a good lipstick, which we all can probably tell by now... It's verging on to being an obsession, a 'I've got to have them all' kind of thing. I love collecting lipsticks, whether I wear them often or not. I'm not a massive pink lipstick wearer, but this shade is just beautiful! Perfect for the summer. It is a beautiful bright yellow toned pink, that is actually quite moisturizing and I wouldn't really describe it as being matte.

The only thing I would say about this lipstick is that if you have quite dry lips then this is very visible, so you have to make sure you use a lip scrub and balm before applying to give it a nice even finish. As it is quite moisturising, it doesn't wear for a crazily long time, but to be honest I would say that it is about the same as a lot of other lipsticks. It's a great affordable price, so even if you do purchase it and don't get as much wear out of it as you had hoped then it doesn't really matter as at £2.50 you can't really go wrong. 

Have you tried any lipsticks from W7? What are your favourite shades? 

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imPress by Broadway Nails

imPress by Broadway Nails* - £7.99

You will all probably know by now that when it comes to beauty, I am all about ease. I would quite often forgo painting my nails just because of the effort of taking the polish off and repainting it. It takes time, and I am quite the clutz when it comes to nail painting in general... I am known to ruining a couple of nails within seconds of painting them, or I will end up with that dreaded fabric imprint when painting them before going to bed. 

I had heard a lot about these before through bloggers and reviews, but really I didn't take any notice. I am a lover of short nails. Again this is due to the ease of it. I'll never forget getting nail extensions put on with my best friend before prom and we both struggled to even open our purses to pay for them! Every task was made a little harder, and this is the case with even growing my nails. I wish I could be that girl that has the perfect length and shaped nails, but honestly I am not. 

When an email popped in my inbox about these, I'll have to say I was a little sceptical at first as I couldn't quite imagine these working for me but when I actually started thinking about it, what isn't to love? The application is easy, you literally just peel off the underside of the nail and press them on. It's as simple as that, no nail polish all over your hand (yes, I do manage to do that nearly every time I do my nails... although I do manage to rectify this afterwards by peeling it off after a bath. I probably shouldn't mention this, wouldn't want to ruin the illusion! haha) and they're on, and they're perfect. 

The clumsy one in me means that they don't last too long, but I don't really have too much of a problem with that because of the ease of application. I would probably save these for when I'm in a rush and don't have time to wait for nail polish to dry, because let's face it, they're a little too pricey to use on a daily basis, but hey, if you can afford it then why not! 

Have you tried these before? 

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The Body Shop: Coconut Body Scrub and All-In-One BB Cream

The Body Shop All-In-One BB Cream* and Coconut Body Scrub*

Coconut Body Scrub

The coconut body scrub was one I was excited to try. I have to say I haven't used The Body Shop's products for a long time. I remember being at Boarding School and we had a Body shop party in our house and I can remember spending all my pocket money, just so I could get a freebie bag with some mini products - my beauty addict tendencies were beginning! I used to love the body butters, so wondered whether this would be similar. I love a good coconut scent so this was perfect for me. 

A bit to my surprise, this didn't actually smell quite as expected. It reminded me of Malibu, and actually was surprisingly nice. Not the usual coconut scent I love but I did actually really like it. The scrub feel lovely on the skin and does just what it is meant to. Its creamy while still exfoliating well. I can imagine this big tub will last me quite a while too! 

All-In-One BB Cream

I absoloutley love the concept of this BB Cream. A white cream that matches your skin tone. I love a good BB Cream, the Garnier BB Cream always used to be my go to base. I chose the lightest shade but actually unfortunately it just wasn't light enough for my pale complexion. It looked very dark on my pale skin tone so unfortunately for that reason it is just unwearable. Although when putting it on I did notice how light and nice it felt on the skin. I can't comment on how well it lasted but I can tell that I would really love it if the shade was right. 

After trying these products I definitely want to get back on The Body Shop bandwagon and get some more products! 

What are your favourite products from The Body Shop? 

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LIP WEEK: Red Lipstick Collection

This is the last post in the lip week series, sorry it's a day late! Today I'm showing you the Red lipsticks in my collection... an ever expanding group of my favourite shades! I love a red lip, it's classic and looks perfect with most things! 

L-R     17 in Showbiz, Topshop in Mischief, Topshop in Rio Rio, MAC in Russian Red, Dainty Doll in 001, Dainty Doll in 002 and 17 in Hollywood

I love a good red lip, and actually I'm surprised I haven't got more. Although, I would say lately I am quite good at refraining myself from buying more because really, I always go for the same ones really. I need to change it up a bit! I love the Topshop lipsticks and Mischief was my first but I prefer the semi matte formula so when I saw Rio Rio I fell in love. One of my favourites also now I have it has to be MAC's Russian Red, who couldn't love this shade, it's stunning! 

 L-R    17 in Showbiz, Topshop in Mischief, Topshop in Rio Rio, MAC in Russian Red, Dainty Doll in 001, Dainty Doll in 002 and 17 in Hollywood

Thanks again to Callum for letting me use his arm! 

What are your favourite Red lipstick shades? I definitely want to add some more into my collection! 

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LIP WEEK: Nude Lipstick Collection

L-R   Dainty Doll in 008, Dainty Doll in 006, Dainty Doll in 007, MAC in Shy Girl, 17 in Belle, ELF Matte Lip Colour in Natural and ELF Matte Lip Colour in Tea Rose

I wouldn't really say my nude lipstick collection is well used or loved really. I am a bright lipstick girl at heart and usually opt for nothing or a lip balm over a nude lipstick. I get surprised to see that the collections of the colours I don't wear are actually much larger than the ones I do wear. Perhaps I'm always on the hunt for one that I will wear? 

L-R   Dainty Doll in 008, Dainty Doll in 006, Dainty Doll in 007, MAC in Shy Girl, 17 in Belle, ELF Matte Lip Colour in Natural and ELF Matte Lip Colour in Tea Rose

Thanks again to Callum for letting me borrow his arm!

I would have to say my most used out of this collection would be my first ever MAC lipstick in Shy Girl, the 17 lipstick in Belle and the ELF Matte lip colours. I have had each of these for quite a long time, and round about when I was really first getting into makeup I wore quite a lot of nude lipsticks into college and just on a day to day basis really but as I have said before as I got braver, these lipsticks became a little unloved. I will definitely be breaking these out as this has made me realise how much I did actually love them before! 

What are your favourite nude lipsticks? 

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LIP WEEK: Purple Lipstick Collection

 L-R Topshop in Beguiled, Sleek in Mulberry, Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Grandest Grape and Topshop Limited Edition in Wicked

A purple lipstick has got to be my definite favourite at the minute. More often than not I always opt for a darker purple shade and these ones are great. The least used out of these would have to be the Sleek Lipstick in Mulberry but I definitely want to give this more of a go, although I do have to slightly braver for this as it is very dark! The others are used equally, and I love them all a lot! 

L-R Topshop in Beguiled, Sleek in Mulberry, Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Grandest Grape and Topshop Limited Edition in Wicked

I do actually have another purple lipstick but it's very special and I wanted to save it for a post of its own. It's my new favourite so keep a look out for that! 

I really want to add some more into my collection, MAC Rebel is one I'm definitely after and hopefully will be adding to my collection soon. 

What are your favourite purple lipstick shades? 

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LIP WEEK: Orange/Coral Lipstick Collection

L-R Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 040, Barry M in 147, Topshop in Infrared and ELF Matte Lip Colour in Coral

First off I'm going to say that I don't suit an orange lipstick at all so the Revlon and Topshop one sadly go unloved. As much as I wish I suited them and have tried to wear them, they just look horrible with my skin tone and so I always end up taking it off and going for a different shade anyway. My favourite in this collection is the ELF Matte Lip Colour in Coral. I love the Matte Lip Colours, they apply easily and I love the colour range. I really want to get more but only have the 3 nude shades, I did used to have Praline but sadly lost that one. 

L-R Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 040, Barry M in 147, Topshop in Infrared and ELF Matte Lip Colour in Coral

What are your favourite coral shades? 

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LIP WEEK: Dainty Doll Lipsticks

L-R 001, 002, 003, 006, 007, 008 £1.99 each from Fragrance Direct

001

This and 002 would have to be my favourite and most used out of the bunch. We all know I love a good red shade and this darker red shade fit so well into my collection. I usually opt for a brighter red but as I've been getting into my darker purple lipsticks, a dark red had to be added to the ever growing collection of lipsticks I've got. 

002

A beautiful bright red that works so well with my skin tone. I have quite a number of bright reds but this one is just as nice as the rest. I love the formulation of Dainty Doll lipsticks as they are so easy to apply and wear. 

003

A lovely bright pink. This one reminded me a little of Topshop's All About Me which is one of my favourite pink shades. It has a very moisturising formulation and although I don't often opt for a pink lipstick, I will definitely get a chance to use this. 

006

Now onto the nudes in the collection. This is more of a pink toned nude and is lovely. I don't usually opt for a nude lip and if I do I would usually go for MAC Shy Girl but I really want to give these a go more often. 

007

This one is more of a golden and yellow toned nude. It has a bit of shimmer in it and I would say it is a lot less wearable than the other shades. It doesn't really suit my skin tone well and I prefer lipstick mostly without shimmer. 

008

A pink brown toned nude, I do like this shade although it does have a little shimmer. More wearable than the previous shade although I cant see myself opting for this that often. Perhaps I should try out my nudes more often! 

L-R 001, 002, 003, 006, 007, 008 (Thanks to Callum, my boyfriend for donating his arm for swatch purposes, so helpful!)

I really like the Dainty Doll lipsticks along with all of the other products I have tried from them actually. Very affordable (£1.99 for a lipstick?!!) you really can't go wrong, hence why I ordered all of the shades they had in stock. I think I may have made around 3 orders when Dainty Doll first appeared on Fragrance Direct. They don't actually have it all in stock at the moment, but I would keep checking back as I always noticed that there was more on there each time I checked, hence the 3 orders in only a couple of weeks. 

What are your favourite Dainty Doll lipstick shades? 

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LIP WEEK: Topshop Make-up Collection - Lip Polish

To celebrate my blog turning one I will be having a week themed post series all about my beauty product! I am a big fan of all kinds of lipsticks and I'd definitely say they're my most used products in my collection. Lip week is starting with the long awaited last post in my Topshop Make-up Collection Series!

L-R   Cracker, Truffle, Chiffon, Cherry Picker, Coral, Iced Coffee

The last in the Topshop Make-up Collection series and definitely a good one. I really like these Lip Polishes as they are super pigmented while still being very wearable. They are a little sticky but the fact that they are so pigmented for me draws away from this. I don't use them as much as I would like but once I've got my make-up storage sorted in my new student house this will all be rectified as I'll be able to access my makeup a lot more easily. 

L-R   Cracker, Truffle, Chiffon, Cherry Picker, Coral, Iced Coffee

My favourites are Cracker, Cherry Picker and Iced Coffee although I would actually wear all of the shades which is very unusual for me! 

I managed to pick these up ages ago in the sale in my local Topshop, they were in sets of 3 and were reduced to something crazy like £3 a pack and with student discount that made it £2.70 - crazy!!

Have you tried these before? 

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