Barry M - "Denim"

My latest obsession is Nail Polish. Despite not being allowed to wear it at work, i seem to have accumulated a rather large stash of various brands. Even if i only have 1 day off, i HAVE to paint my nails; i feel naked without a splash of colour on them. 

I popped in to Superdrug for a few essentials the other day and left with the Barry M shade "Denim". 

I'm a huge fan of all these new nail effects and i love the look of the Denim & Stud's from Nails Inc. However at the moment i cannot justify spending lots of money on these higher-branded products as i'm not wearing them as much as i would like :(

So yes, i bought "Denim" (325) from Barry M as it was 2 polishes for £5, so i also bought a lovely pink shade "Fuchsia" (302). As if i need any excuse to buy any products, but seeing the 2 for £5 made me feel better about it!

So this shade isn't labeled as an "effect" but i think it applies like one, so that's what it is to me! I LOVE this polish. I understand its been around a fair time, so isn't a new product as such, but i have only just discovered it. I normally wear Nails Inc or Rimmel polishes, but couldn't resist this shade. I only applied one coat on Monday, it's now Wednesday night and this polish hasn't chipped at all. I didn't have time to apply a top coat either so i'm very impressed! It goes on matte, but as i was in a rush i had a few squirts of a Quick Dry Nail Spray which made it look glossy, but either way it looks lovely. I'm really impressed with this shade, as some of the other Barry M shades i have used in the past had to have at least 2 coats applied for a good finish. I honestly cannot fault this in any way, its a fantastic price and looks lovely. A few of my friends have asked where i got it from as they really like it, which is a bonus. I really wanted to get a swatch up of this shade but unfortunately my precious laptop is broken, and i don't think the university would be overly happy with me using their computers to upload my beauty pictures!

I haven't used the other shade i bought yet, as i'm now working through to Tuesday. However, after that i'll be sure to get another review up! 

NARS Blusher - Orgasm

I have some sad news... my Laptop has gone kerput! So unfortunatly i'm having to blog from the University computer's, and obviously my camera isn't set up for this, so i can't swatch. **Sad Face**

I had a rare day off yesterday and ended up in:  Space.NK. 

Now, I'm fairly new to the area as i only moved here to study, so i'm still finding my feet and also the shops! As luck would have it, i was SO super happy to come across Space.NK! It literally made my day! In every other store i have always spent a lot of money and had fantastic service, so i was slightly upset and frustrated by my experience in this store. It was early morning and a week day, so the shops were quiet (lovely!) however, from the moment i entered the store i was received with a quick glance from one shop assistant, and the other looked me up and down! So i didn't feel instantly at home like i do in other Space.NK's. Not a good start! I was planning to spend a while browsing and checking out some new products, but as i didn't feel very welcome i literally made my purchase and left. Such a shame.

ANYWAY - i had the tough decision of "Orgasm or Super Orgasm" ... for those of you that have never used this brand, i am of course talking about NARS! The majority of their products have saucy names, which i think its fantastic. 

I have used both of these blushers in the past, and cannot decide which one i prefer! I was planning to sample both of them whilst i was there and way up the pro's & con's of each of them, however due to the atmosphere i didn't feel like i could, so i settled for Orgasm. 

Of course, this shade is their best selling blusher and absolutely beautiful, so it was no hardship having to purchase one! 

As you can see, it's an absolutely beautiful shade. I have tried a lot of blushers and seem to butterfly from one to the next as i can never settle on one that i'm really happy with; apart from Orgasm. I love how it is so soft and gives you a healthy happy glow. Its perfect for me, as i can have a quick sweep of it for work, then layer it up for drinks after work! I find that just 2 layers give me a delicious intense glow that is perfect.. it's not obvious and doesn't give you that "dirty" streak that some blushers can, it blends in perfectly. 

It RRP's for £21 which is quite steep, but i can't help but purchase it time and time again! Next time i will def be getting Super Orgasm though, as that is equally as beautiful!

Have you tried any of the naughty-named NARS products? What would you recommend? 

My All Time Favourite Make-Up Products

So, kicking off my first "proper" beauty post. I thought i'd give you all a quick run down of my favourite make-up products ever. As in, those products that i swear by, that i am always recommending to people, that i have about a thousand of them lying around my house and in various handbags. They're also the products that i can turn to if i'm having a "blergh" day - where my skin isn't great, i'm tired from working too much/long, and i just need something to give me that instant pick-me-up to boost my confidence and make me feel a bit better about facing the world! This is purely my all time favourite make-up products, and i hope to do another post featuring my favourite skin-care products at a later date.

First Up... Lacome - LA Base Pro 

I wouldn't dream of putting my make-up on without this little beauty. I first discovered it when visiting a Lancome counter to buy their Cils Booster (more on that later) and now i am absolutely hooked.

Lancome state that "skin feels re-surfaced, leaving a non-greasy film, as if a second skin", and i would agree with every word.

You only need the smallest amount for the whole face, and it glides on effortlessly. Due to this, one bottle will last me approximately a month and a half and i use it every day without fail. 

I work 12-13 hour shifts, and i find that this holds my make-up in place all day.

It RRP's for £27 on the Lancome website, which is also the same price on Feel Unique.com. As this product lasts me for so long, i don't mind paying that amount for it. However, if anybody knows where to find it cheaper - let me know!

Mac - Pro Longwear Concealer 

Another fab buy. I have very temperamental skin, which can break-out overnight. I first purchased this in New York, i wasn't in need of a concealer at that point however the MUA insisted that i couldn't be without, and she was right! You only need the smallest amount for a lot of coverage, and it is true to its name - it stays on all day. I find the colour suits me perfectly, which i'm pretty impressed with as i have really pale skin. It glides on nicely, and isn't so thick that it looks "cakey". It has just the right consistancy to cover up any redness and blemishes. 

For a poor student living off of a budget, the RRP of £14.50 seems quite pricey, but just like the Lancome primer, a little bit goes a long way and the current bottle i have has lasted me  a fair while! 

Benefit - HighBeam

Wow. This can give you cheekbones that you don't have, it makes your eyes sparkle and lightens up your whole face. I discovered this many years ago, and have been obsessed with it ever since. I would hazard a guess that i've worked my way through about 5 or 6 bottles of the stuff! It is b-e-a-uuuutiful. 

There are so many uses for this, and i think i've tried most of them! If i've had a terrible shift at work, or been studying for a ridiculous amount of hours and my skin needs a huge boost, then i'll mix a few drops of HighBeam with whatever foundation is my latest find. it lightens and brightens your whole face, giving you a gorgeous glow. I tend to do small drops of it along the tops of my cheekbones to make them really "pop", and also underneath the arch of my eyebrow and the outer corner of my eyes, to make them look even whiter and brighter. It gives a fantastic shimmer which shows up in Photos, so this is a key product for nights out.  Basically a fantastic buy that i thoroughly recommend to everybody! There is also a golden version called MoonBeam, which looks amazing on olive/tanned skin, however as i said, i'm fairly pale so MoonBeam is perfect for my complexion. This currently RRP's for £18.50 from Benefit

Lancome - Cils Booster

Another Lancome product to hit my All Time Favourites. I have no idea how i stumbled across this little gem, but i am SO glad i did. Just like the LA Pro Base Primer,i wouldn't dream of putting on my mascara without Cils Booster first. It's a white (yes, white!) mascara which you apply before your normal mascara. It's been enriched with XL Micro-primers to protect your lashes, and also enhances the colour of your mascara. Since wearing it, i have found that it gives my lashes a HUGE boost (which is much needed, i detest my eye lashes) and makes my lashes look much longer. I tend to chop and change mascara's on a weekly basis, however this is one staple item that i cannot do without. Again, it is quite pricey at £20.00 but i don't care, i cannot apply mascara without it. I have tried various other lash-primer, but i always end up disappointed in them and come running straight back to Cils Booster!

Rimmel London - Lasting Finish

The ultimate in lipsticks. I have yet to find another lipstick which does what it says on the tin - Last. Please, recommend others to me if you have found some, however this is the only lipstick i have tried that actually stays put! I've got various colours (Nude Pink, Heartbreaker, Pink Blush) but my absolute favourite shade is 004 - Indulgence. Its a gorgeous shade of bright pink, one that i can wear everyday, yet one that also looks gorgeous on a night out. I think i've had about 3 of these? And at £4.99 each, you can't really go wrong! The one thing i would recommend is that your lips are smooth and soft before you apply - as with all lipsticks, its not a good look if you have cracked lips as the colour tends to stick in all the wrong places! (Also, i don't know about others, but i find the actual lipstick has a fruity scent?!) 

If you have tried any of these products, what do you think of them? Any hints & tips you'd like to share? Or any products you want to recommend - i always welcome new ideas!

Lotsa Love xXx

Newbie Alert!

Hi Guys & Dolls.. Newbie over here!

Just a quick intro about myself before we get down to the nitty gritty..

I'm a 24yo Female living in the South East of England. I'm currently studying Medicine at University, which i love, however my one true love is Make-up <3 

I was fortunate enough to work for a higher-end cosmetics company a few years ago, and through that i got absolutely addicted to make-up. 

I currently have the biggest make-up case ever, and also 2 vanity drawers which are teeming with products - not just make-up, but also skin care, hair care and my latest vice; nail polish.

A lot of people always comment that i'm "too glam" for medicine, but i don't agree. I'm just your average girl looking to make the best of what God blessed her with! (And what he didn't bless me with, i can always fake with my various products!)

I hope you enjoy my posts, i aim to be as frequent as possible, however due to my studies i may miss a few days.. i apologise in advance for this. 

I want to credit this blog to the lovely British Beauty Blogger who totally inspired me to do this. I feel it's only fair that us girlies get a frank and honest opinion/view on the various products out there.. so the more of us that can provide those opinions, the better! That gives us all the perfect background reading before we go and spend (potentially) a lot of money on products that may not be as fabulous as the companies let them on to be!

Anyway, i hope you enjoy my blogs and that they come in handy somewhere along the line. Feel free to drop me an email and i'll aim to respond as and when i'm not drowning in books in the University Library 

Lotsa Love,  MSB xXx