MUA Luxe The Art Of Illuminaton

My obsession with Highlighters has been further indulged with the release of this amazing MUA Luxe The Art of Illumination Highlighter collection. I was lucky enough to attend an event which showcased each and every product and gave a masterclass in using each product and how and where to apply it your own highlighter depending upon your face shape.

The collection is inspired by the highlighting phenomenon but with an Autumnal twist. Within the collection is a trio of new products aimed to give you that perfect highlight and with each product being totally different, there is something for everything depending upon your need. Designed to emphasise, minimise or balance facial features depending upon your face shape.  I love that there is a mixture of textures within this range and there is something for everyone depending upon your need.

For me the star of the show is the The Luxe Glow Beam Liquid Cushion (£6) which is a luxuriously lightweight, gold highlighter, it gives an almost rose gold hue when swatched and is so light and delicate it has been used almost everyday since it came into my possession.

As a liquid highlighter and cushion highlighter at that, it is different to anything else I have used to date and I love that I can use the accompanying sponge or my fingertips.

The one item which is totally different to anything else I have seen or own is the MUA Luxe Glow Beam Highlighting Powder (£5). Featuring a unique rotary compact which crushes the powder, a dusting of fine particles appear as it rotates creating a beautiful golden dust!  

This product can be used on the face and the body and it gives such an amazing colour payoff, you only need such a small amount.  Again, I found this easiest to apply with a blending brush and using the pot to tap off any excess powder, it also works well around the tear duct.

If a highlighter palette is more your thing then this MUA Luxe Radiant Illumination Highlight Kit #1(£5) is perhaps for you. The palette contains both soft and radiant powder highlighters in 6 shades which are both matte and shimmer formulas. The beauty of these shades is that they can be layered together or applied separately depending upon how much or little of a glow you want.

As you can see from the swatches, the top three shades are more matte with a cream, pink and slightly yellow shades and the bottom three take on a slight shimmer with a gold, beige and peach shade (right to left). 

So now I have my new products, I needed to know how to get the best use out of them. Thankfully I was provided with these amazing diagrams with a backlight to help me out and this is where I should be highlighting with a round face:

The card states that if you have a round face and want to add dimension then add highlight to the centre of the face to pull your features forward. You can also highlight your upper cheek bones and under your eyebrow arch. So where you can see on the facechart the white highlighted dots, that there is where I should now highlight.  There are also face charts for Oval, Heart and Square.

These are amazing items which you need to add to your stash and they will be much needed and used as the festive season approaches.  Available now at Superdrug.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Too Faced Melted Matte Liquified Lipsticks

One brand I absolutely love is Too-Faced especially the liquid lipsticks, they are just amazing and have featured on my blog before. This time the liquid lipsticks have had a bit of a make-over and look super swish in their respective glass bottles. Not only have the packaging had a make over but so has the tube.

These Melted Matte Liquified Lipsticks (£20) have an innovative formula which glides over lips like a gloss but dries to an ultra-matte opaque finish and literally, they apply like an absolute dream. They are infused with a no-sting lip plumper and filler to give you that fuller lip look as well as Avocado Oil, Vitamin E and Hyaluronic Filling Spheres. Using what is called the Doe-foot applicator which is designed to coat the lips, the colour is always intense, bright, even and just absolutely stunning.

The two shades I have are called Mega Balls and Feelin Myself and both shades are truly just divine.

Mega Balls is described as being a Matte True Red.  It is a deep red with cool, blue undertones and a matte finish. It has great colour payoff and as soon as it is applied to the lips it begins to dry and settle down beautifully.  Once applied nothing is shifting this shade, it lasts pretty much most of the day despite eating and drinking and there is no colour transfer to your mug, glass or cutlery and should you be lucky enough to kiss someone, there is no colour transfer there either!

Feelin Myself is described as being a Matte Soft Peachy Pink.  It is one of those shades which is bright but has warm undertones, so you might detect a ht of coral in there too. Again it has a matte finish with great colour pay off and as with Mega Balls once applied nothing is shifting this shade, it lasts pretty much most of the day despite eating and drinking and there is no colour transfer to your mug, glass or cutlery and should you be lucky enough to kiss someone, there is no colour transfer there either!

The formulation is beautiful, not only is it incredibly lightweight to the point where it doesn't feel as though there is anything on your lips, it glides on, mattes down quickly.  I didn't find either to be drying, though I would advise you to exfoliate if you do have any dry skin!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Dresses for a winter wedding

For someone who isn't a church-goer, I have spent quite a lot of time in a few this year attending 3 funerals and in the next 2 weeks, my third wedding! The one good thing about a wedding is the opportunity to dress up without trying to upstage the bride on her big day. But at this time of year knowing what to wear is an absolute nightmare, you can guarantee you will either be too cold or too hot and finding something that suits all occasions can be a nightmare. For me weddings are about wearing a nice dress with either a nice bolero jacket, a cardigan or even a pashmina, something to keep you warm but something you don't have to wear the whole time.

Choosing a dress to wear is the one thing I always find the hardest. My comfort zone is something black and whilst you can wear black to a wedding, it does need 'something' so you don't look as though are funeral bound. Sites such as Octer are ones I look too. An online shopping application which provides customers with a simple solution to shopping, allowing them to buy everything in one place - hundreds of stores and thousands of brands from high street to designer and brands such as ASOS, BooHoo, Debenhams, House of Fraser, John Lewis and M&S to name just a few, it cuts down the time spend browsing each site. Instead, you simply choose what you are looking for - Women's Clothing - Dresses - and then they appear before you. Or you can click on the store itself and take it from there.

The dresses above are all ones which have been sat in my basket for some time, seemingly perfect for that winter wedding setting. From left to right we have the multi-coloured Davinia Dress from Debenhams priced at £99. It features a striking placement floral print and flattering ruched detail at the waist. With a round neckline, it is fully lined and fastens with a concealed back zip. Next is the Chi Chi London floral print curve skater dress from Dorothy Perkins and it is priced at £57.99. It features a delicate floral pattern with a contrast belt and is fully lined. The Black Amber Floral Wrap Dress from Wallis is in the sale for £37.50 and is just stunning. The one plain dress in the mix is this Lands' End Purple regular jersey crossover midi dress, again from Debenhams and just £35. What drew my attention to it is the design of a wrap top and softly pleated skirt. The final dress is from Marks and Spencers a store which is capturing my attention more and more. What I love about this dress is the bold floral print pattern with the bodycon design and costing just £35, it is again an absolute bargain.

Anyone who knows me will know two things about my choice of dress. Firstly they are likely to be black or be predominantly black and secondly there will be a floral aspect to it. I am picky, I hate zips which run down the backs of dress or under the arm pit and I don't like dresses which sit on the calves. That said, with a choice of 5 dresses to choose between, I have 2 weeks decide which one to wear!

*this post contains PR samples/affiliate links unless indicated otherwise

Rimmel: Scandaleyes Reloaded

One item I never leave the house without wearing is mascara. I am a total mascara fiend and make my way through tubes of the stuff, usually before its best by date!  When the new Rimmel Scandaleyes Reloaded dropped through my letter box, there was a bit of a squeal. I have been quite a fan of Rimmel mascara right through adulthood and when something promises to  give long-lasting lash drama, it is the only drama I want and need in my life.

The most scandalous mascara is back with a breakthrough – enter a new dimension of extreme volume without clumping, now with unstoppable, sweat-proof, smudge-proof, 24HR wear.

Rimmel London ScandalEyes Reloaded Mascara features a clump-free formula which give extreme volume, extreme wear and is easy to remove with water. All of this comes courtesy of the new Formula with First to Market Patented Technology. This formula which has special flexible polymers builds volume fast onto every single lash in an intense, deep black mascara from root to tip and it is said that you can apply 11 years of mascara without causing a single clump. Using a specially designed tapered max-density brush which works to capture every single eyelash, even those teeny tiny ones right in the corner of your eyes.  

Now I have only been so bold as to apply 2-3 layers and impressively it does not clump, I happen to think 2 coats is more than enough for me, but others may wish to test the 11 coats theory! It is certainly sweat-proof having been squashed on a tube at rush hour when it gets quite sticky, I was glad to find that after a bit of a sweat I didn't end up looking like a panda and even wiping my face, it didn't smudge, not one iota!

The biggest claim for me is that you can remove it with just water, well guess what? yes you can and yes it does.  One wet cotton wool pad with luke warm water wiped across the eye and it removes the whole lot, just like that. No need for make-up remover!

Alongside these two mascaras is also two rather fabulous felt-tip liners. Now, it is no secret that I sometimes (read most of the time) struggle with eyeliner, I have no patience which doesn't help but I can somehow manage to do a half decent job with these!

The Precision Micro Eyeliner which as you can see has a really ultra-thin felt tip, makes drawing that flawless and precise line that really helps to define your eyes. Of the two, this is the one I find the easiest to use. The Thick and Thin Eyeliner has a uniquely engineered, 3D slanted felt tip and this is said to help draw a flawless thick or thin line owing to its shape and I have almost, but not quite, got the hang of this one.

Like the mascara, both are designed to stay put for up to 24 hours, are waterproof, smudge-proof, heat-proof and humidity-proof and really easy to remove!

I have become an instant of these products as you might have guessed but as well as being good products, they are both amazing prices with the ScandalEyes Reloaded Mascaras priced at £6.99 and the ScandalEyes Liner £5.49 and you can find them here.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise